Electrochemical mineralization of the antibiotic levofloxacin by electro-Fenton-pyrite process.
Levofloxacin is a large spectrum antibiotic from fluoroquinolones family, widely used and detected in natural waters. Here, this drug was degraded by a novel heterogeneous electro-Fenton (EF) process, so-called EF-pyrite, in which pyrite powder in suspension regulates the solution pH to 3.0 and supplies 0.2mM Fe(2+) as catalyst to the solution. Trials were performed with a stirred boron-doped diamond (BDD)/carbon-felt cell under O2 bubbling for cathodic H2O2 generation. Hydroxyl radicals formed from water oxidation at the BDD anode and in the bulk from Fenton's reaction between Fe(2+) and H2O2 were the main oxidizing agents. The effect of applied current and antibiotic concentration over the mineralization rate and degree, mineralization current efficiency and specific energy consumption was studied. An almost total mineralization was achieved for a 0.23mM drug solution operating at 300mA for 8h. The kinetic decay of the drug was followed by reversed-phase HPLC and obeyed a pseudo-first-order reaction. Ion-exclusion HPLC analysis of treated solutions revealed that oxalic and oxamic acids, the most persistent final products, were the predominant pollutants remaining in solution at long electrolysis time. Ion chromatography analysis confirmed the release of F(-), NO3(-) and NH4(+) ions during levofloxacin mineralization.
Département de chimie, Faculté des Sciences de Gabès, Université de Gabès, Cité Erriadh, 6072 Gabès, Tunisia.
Natija
N
Barhoumi
Département de chimie, Faculté des Sciences de Gabès, Université de Gabès, Cité Erriadh, 6072 Gabès, Tunisia.
Lazhar
L
Labiadh
Université Paris-Est, Laboratoire Géomatériaux et Environnement, EA 4508, UPEM, 5 Bd Descartes, 77454 Marne-la-Vallée Cedex 2, France. Electronic address: mehmet.oturan@univ-paris-est.fr.
Mehmet A
MA
Oturan
Université Paris-Est, Laboratoire Géomatériaux et Environnement, EA 4508, UPEM, 5 Bd Descartes, 77454 Marne-la-Vallée Cedex 2, France.
Nihal
N
Oturan
Département de chimie, Faculté des Sciences de Gabès, Université de Gabès, Cité Erriadh, 6072 Gabès, Tunisia.
Abdellatif
A
Gadri
Département de chimie, Faculté des Sciences de Gabès, Université de Gabès, Cité Erriadh, 6072 Gabès, Tunisia; Faculté des Sciences de Bizerte, Université de Carthage, Tunisia.
Salah
S
Ammar
Laboratori d'Electroquímica dels Materials i del Medi Ambient, Departament de Química Física, Facultat de Química, Universitat de Barcelona, Martí i Franquès 1-11, 08028 Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: brillas@ub.edu.
Enric
E
Brillas
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D001895:Boron / Q000737:chemistry; D018130:Diamond / Q000737:chemistry; D055664:Electrochemical Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D017665:Hydroxyl Radical / Q000737:chemistry; D007501:Iron / Q000737:chemistry*; D007700:Kinetics; D064704:Levofloxacin / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D013440:Sulfides / Q000737:chemistry*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D018508:Water Purification / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; C045076:Fenton's reagent; D013440:Sulfides; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C011342:pyrite; D017665:Hydroxyl Radical; D064704:Levofloxacin; D018130:Diamond; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D007501:Iron; D001895:Boron
Electro-Fenton-pyrite; Heterogeneous catalysis; Hydroxyl radical; Levofloxacin; Mineralization