Degradation of Amoxicillin, Ampicillin and Cloxacillin Antibiotics in Aqueous Solution by the UV/ZnO Photocatalytic Process

• Main Authors: Elmolla, E. S., Chaudhuri, M.
• Format: Citation Index Journal
• Published: Elsevier 2010
• Subjects: TD Environmental technology. Sanitary engineering
• Online Access: http://eprints.utp.edu.my/2283/1/Degradation_of_Amoxicillin%2C_Ampicillin_and_Coxacillin_Antibiotics_in_Aqueous_Solution_by_the_UV-ZnO_Photocatalytic_Process.pdf; http://eprints.utp.edu.my/2283/

The study examined the effect of operating conditions (zinc oxide concentration, pH and irradiation time) of the UV/ZnO photocatalytic process on degradation of amoxicillin, ampicillin and cloxacillin in aqueous solution. pH has a great effect on amoxicillin, ampicillin and cloxacillin degradation. The optimum operating conditions for complete degradation of antibiotics in an aqueous solution containing 104, 105 and 103 mg/L amoxicillin, ampicillin and cloxacillin, respectively were: zinc oxide 0.5 g/L, irradiation time 180 min andpH11. Under optimum operating conditions, complete degradation of amoxicillin, ampicillin and cloxacillin occurred and COD and DOC removal were 23.9 and 9.7%, respectively. The photocatalytic reactions under optimum conditions approximately followed a pseudo-first order kinetics with rate constant (k) 0.018, 0.015 and 0.029 min−1 for amoxicillin, ampicillin and cloxacillin, respectively. UV/ZnO photocatalysis can be used for amoxicillin, ampicillin and cloxacillin degradation in aqueous solution.