Removal of Ciprofloxacin Antibiotic by Potassium Ferrate with Ultrasound Waves (Fe(VI)-US)

The presence of antibiotics in water resources is known as a serious threat to human and ecosystem health due to the creation of persistency in microorganisms. Therefore, the aim of this study is to determine the efficiency of potassium ferrate with ultrasound waves (Fe(VI)-US) for the removal of ciprofloxacin.

This was an experimental study conducted to evaluate the effect of potassium ferrate alone and with ultrasound for the removal of ciprofloxacin. Moreover, the effective parameters, including contact time (5-10 minutes), initial concentration of antibiotic (10 and 15 mg.l-1), pH (4-9), and potassium ferrate concentration (15-150 mg.l-1) were investigated under different frequency (30-70 kHz) in a reactor for the removal of ciprofloxacin. The remained ciprofloxacin concentration in the solution was determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with an ultraviolet (UV) detector at 280 nm and reverse phase column C18.

The removal rate of ciprofloxacin by potassium ferrate was obtained as 65-78%. The efficiency of ciprofloxacin removal increased by 5-8% through the application of potassium ferrate with ultrasound waves (Fe(VI)-US). Moreover, the highest removal efficiency was 86% for the initial antibiotic concentration 10 mg.l-1, potassium ferrate concentration 150 mg.l-1, pH = 5, and frequency 60 kHz.

The results of this study showed that potassium ferrate with ultrasound can be effectively used for the removal of ciprofloxacin in aquatic solutions.