title: Physicochemical regeneration of high silica zeolite Y used to clean-up water polluted with sulfonamide antibiotics.
abstract: High silica zeolite Y has been positively evaluated to clean-up water polluted with sulfonamides, an antibiotic family which is known to be involved in the antibiotic resistance evolution. To define possible strategies for the exhausted zeolite regeneration, the efficacy of some chemico-physical treatments on the zeolite loaded with four different sulfonamides was evaluated. The evolution of photolysis, Fenton-like reaction, thermal treatments, and solvent extractions and the occurrence in the zeolite pores of organic residues eventually entrapped was elucidated by a combined thermogravimetric (TGA-DTA), diffractometric (XRPD), and spectroscopic (FT-IR) approach. The chemical processes were not able to remove the organic guest from zeolite pores and a limited transformation on embedded molecules was observed. On the contrary, both thermal treatment and solvent extraction succeeded in the regeneration of the zeolite loaded from deionized and natural fresh water. The recyclability of regenerated zeolite was evaluated over several adsorption/regeneration cycles, due to the treatment efficacy and its stability as well as the ability to regain the structural features of the unloaded material.
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna 40127, Italy; NanoSiSTeMI Interdisciplinary Centre, Università del Piemonte Orientale A. Avogadro, Alessandria 15121, Italy. Electronic address: ilaria.braschi@unibo.it.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Braschi
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna 40127, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Blasioli
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna 40127, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Buscaroli
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna 40127, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Montecchio
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Earth Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara 44122, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martucci
mesh_terms: D065966:Absorption, Physicochemical; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D052918:Environmental Restoration and Remediation / Q000379:methods*; D007700:Kinetics; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry; D013449:Sulfonamides / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000737:chemistry*; D017641:Zeolites / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D013449:Sulfonamides; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D017641:Zeolites; D012822:Silicon Dioxide
keywords: Solvent extraction; Sulfa drugs; Thermal regeneration; Water depollution; Zeolite recyclability