Dissolved biochar promoted photodegradation of tetracycline in aqueous environment

Abstract

As one of the frequently detected antibiotics in aqueous environment, the environmental behaviour of tetracycline has received increasing attention. Dissolved biochar (DBC) is an essential component of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in water enviroment. However, the effect of DBC on the photodegradation of tetracycline was unclear. This study investigated the impact of DBC on the photodegradation of tetracycline in aqueous solution under light illumination. The main components of DBC were humic acid-like and fulvic acid-like, accounting for 78.2% of the total components. The DBC surface had more oxygen-containing functional groups and aromatic functional groups. DBC increased the photodegradation of tetracyline by 46.9%, which was related to the component and structure of DBC. These findings would provid theoretical support for the environmental behaviour of DBC and tetracycline in aqueous environment.