Photochemical oxidation of antibiotic gemifloxacin in aqueous solutions – A comparative study

Abstract

The amount of organic micro pollutants like antibiotics detected in effluents, lakes, rivers, hospital wastewater, sewage water and ground water. These antibiotics are affecting aquatic organisms. Common wastewater treatment plants are not built to remove these substances. Thus there is a need for new technologies. The present study focuses on the application of a promising technology, that is the use of advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), which works based on the intermediacy of hydroxyl and other radicals to oxidized non-biodegradable compounds. Hence, in the present study treatment of certain gemifloxacin commonly used in day-to-day life has been carried out. The combination of UV, UV/H2O2, Fenton, and UV/Fenton systems has been studied. Gemifloxacin concentration degradation, Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and Total Organic Carbon (TOC) are monitored. Among all the processes studied photo-Fenton process has been found to be the maximum removal of gemifloxacin (97%). Keywords: Antibiotics, Pharmaceuticals, Oxidation technologies, Non-biodegradable, Gemifloxacin