Photocatalytic Role of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles on Synthetic Activated Carbon to Remove Antibiotic from Aquatic Environment

Background & Aims of the Study: The presence of antibiotics in the environment, especially in aquatic environments is a major concern for health and the environment. The advanced oxidation process due to the ease of use, economical advantages and high performance have attracted a lot of attention. The purpose of this study was Evaluating of the photocatalytic role of zinc oxide on synthetic activated carbon to remove antibiotic from aquatic environment.
This experimental study was done in batch reactor that has a 1 L volume. In this study effect of parameters such as initial pH (3-9), initial concentration of cefazolin (20-200 mg/L), modified photocatalyst concentration (20-100 mg/L) and reaction time (10-60 min) was investigated. In this study a low-pressure mercury lamp with the power of 55 watts in stainless case has been used. The cefazolin concentrations in different steps were measured using UV-Vis spectrophotometer in Wavelength of 262 nm.
The results showed that the highest removal efficiency (96%) of cefazolin was at the pH=3, 0.1 mg/L of modified photocatalyst, retention time of 60 min and cefazolin concentrations of 100 mg/L. In the case of changing any of the above mentioned values, process efficiency was decreased.
The results showed that the photocatalytic process of zinc oxide nanoparticles on synthetic activated carbon can be used as an advanced oxidation process to effectively remove pollutants like cefazolin and other similar pollutants.