title: Optimization of sonochemical degradation of tetracycline in aqueous solution using sono-activated persulfate process.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In this study, a central composite design (CCD) was used for modeling and optimizing the operation parameters such as pH, initial tetracycline and persulfate concentration and reaction time on the tetracycline degradation using sono-activated persulfate process. The effect of temperature, degradation kinetics and mineralization, were also investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results from CCD indicated that a quadratic model was appropriate to fit the experimental data (p < 0.0001) and maximum degradation of 95.01 % was predicted at pH = 10, persulfate concentration = 4 mM, initial tetracycline concentration = 30.05 mg/L, and reaction time = 119.99 min. Analysis of response surface plots revealed a significant positive effect of pH, persulfate concentration and reaction time, a negative effect of tetracycline concentration. The degradation process followed the pseudo-first-order kinetic. The activation energy value of 32.01 kJ/mol was obtained for US/S2O8 (2-) process. Under the optimum condition, the removal efficiency of COD and TOC reached to 72.8 % and 59.7 %, respectively. The changes of UV-Vis spectra during the process was investigated. The possible degradation pathway of tetracycline based on loses of N-methyl, hydroxyl, and amino groups was proposed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study indicated that sono-activated persulfate process was found to be a promising method for the degradation of tetracycline.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Gholam Hossein
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Safari
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran ; Center for Water Quality Research, Institute for Environmental Research, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Simin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nasseri
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran ; Center for Solid Waste Research, Institute for Environmental Research, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Amir Hossein
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Mahvi
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran ; Center for Solid Waste Research, Institute for Environmental Research, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Kamyar
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yaghmaeian
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran ; Center for Air Pollution Research, Institute for Environmental Research, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Ramin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nabizadeh
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mahmood
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alimohammadi
keywords: Central composite design; Optimization; Persulfate; Response surface methodology; Tetracycline degradation