Removal of Amoxiclav Antibiotic from Aqueous Solutions Using Ultrasonic Waves

Abstract

Antibiotics enter the environment, mainly aquatic environments, through the effluents of pharmaceutical industries, antibiotic factories, hospitals, human and animal sewage. Toxicity (carcinogenicity, mutagenicity and damage to the body's DNA), biodegradability, and drug resistance in antibiotics have caused these compounds to be called semi-persistent pollutants in the environment. The present study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of ultrasonic waves in reducing the antibiotic amoxiclav in aqueous solutions. The discharge and flow velocity parameters have been neglected due to their insignificance. The investigated variables included contact time, amoxiclav concentration, and pH. Antibiotics were based on concentrations of 2 and 6 mg/L of Amoxiclav, retention time (30, 45, 60) minutes, and pH values (3, 7, 9) in an ultrasonic device with a volume of 10 liters and internal dimensions (20*30*50), and the frequency was set to 95. Then the remaining concentration in the samples was measured by HPLC. The obtained results were subjected to statistical analysis with SPSS software. As the retention time increases, the initial concentration of the antibiotic decreases, but on the contrary, as the initial concentration increases, the removal of the antibiotic decreases. The highest concentration reduction of amoxiclav in concentration 2 (mg/L) is about 50% in the retention time of 60 minutes and pH = 3, but in concentration of 6 (mg/L), the highest concentration reduction is in the same retention time and pH of about 47%. The advantages of ultrasonication are easy application, acceleration of chemical and biological processes, no production of secondary pollutants, reduction of suspended and soluble substances in water, and an effective and cheap method to remove the antibiotic Amoxiclav.

Keywords

• amoxiclav antibiotic
• ultrasonic
• retention time
• hplc