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Degradation of tetracycline by solar photo‐Fenton: Optimization and application in pilot photoreactor
Author(s) -
Cahino Arthur Marinho,
Andrade Mariana Maciel Almeida,
Araújo Elizabeth Sousa,
Silva Erika Lima,
Cunha Cláudia de Oliveira,
Rocha Elisângela Maria Rodrigues
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
environmental quality management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.249
H-Index - 27
eISSN - 1520-6483
pISSN - 1088-1913
DOI - 10.1002/tqem.21579
Subject(s) - biodegradation , photodegradation , chemistry , degradation (telecommunications) , factorial experiment , tetracycline , phytotoxicity , reaction rate constant , chemical oxygen demand , ferrous , catalysis , kinetics , pulp and paper industry , photocatalysis , chromatography , environmental engineering , environmental science , organic chemistry , mathematics , wastewater , biochemistry , antibiotics , botany , biology , computer science , engineering , telecommunications , quantum mechanics , statistics , physics
Abstract The objective of this study is to analyze the photodegradation of the antibiotic tetracycline by the solar photo‐Fenton process. The optimal conditions were obtained in a 2² (2 × 2) factorial design with the following input variables: reaction time and catalyst concentration (ferrous ion [Fe 2+ ]). After statistical analysis using the Statistica 7.0 software, the optimal conditions determined, time = 120 min and Fe 2+ = 166.81 mg/L, were applied in a pilot scale photoreactor, resulting in an 88.7% removal of the drug. In addition, in this stage we studied the reaction kinetics, biodegradability, and phytotoxicity of the products generated by the process. In the kinetic study, a constant of 1.82 × 10 −2 min −1 was obtained. For this constant, a reaction time of 38.16 min is required for the initial tetracycline concentration to be reduced by 50%. The biodegradability tests indicated a gradual increase in the five‐day biological oxygen demand/chemical oxygen demand ratio over time. The phytotoxicity tests showed an 18.5% decrease in the inhibition rate of the root growth of lettuce seedlings, indicating that the treatment applied reduces the toxicity of the substance.