Removal of clinically significant antibiotics from aqueous solutions by applying unique high-throughput continuous-flow plasma pencil and plasma brush systems

• DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2022.139415
• Publication Date: 2022-09-26T06:28:42Z
• Authors: Dominik Terefinko; Magda Caban; Agata Motyka-Poma...; Weronika Babinska; Pawel Pohl; Piotr Jamroz; Piotr Cyganowski; Wojciech Sledz; Ewa Lojkowska; Piotr Stepnowski; Anna Dzimitrowicz
• Keywords: wastewater treatment; 0303 health sciences; 03 medical and health sciences; degradation products; cold atmospheric pressure plasma; drugs; multidrug resistance reduction

High demands of medical and husbandry sectors led to a massive annual production 100,000 tonnes various antibiotics on global scale. Considering that an access sublethal doses these pharmaceuticals causes subsequent increase in resistance virulent human bacterial pathogens, there is substantial need for development novel methods techniques degradation from aqueous solutions. Here, high-throughput continuous flow plasma pencil brush methodologies were developed verified their applicability removal solutions, as estimated by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode-array detection (HPLC-DAD) or ultraperformance tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). The efficiency drugs treated the was range 3 24%, corresponded 1.39% 10.76% losses antibacterial properties plasma-treated However, application unique increased rates significantly, now falling 29 67% 12.06–81.59% decrease antimicrobial plasma-exposed deviations effectiveness assigned types amounts generated species. Various intermediate products also detected post-plasma which derived oxygen attack nucleophilic sides antibiotic molecules. We assume such high-throughput, methodological setups may find hospitals end-of-pipe technology routine elimination pollutants before reaching municipal sewage treatment plants.