Photocatalytic degradation of ciprofloxacin via peroxymonosulfate activation in aquatic matrices: Comparative analysis, kinetics, and transformation pathways

• DOI: 10.1016/j.dwt.2025.101001
• Publication Date: 2025-01-13T17:25:11Z
• Authors: Paulina Sowik; Joanna Wilk; Katarzyna Kowalska; Sylwia Bajkacz; Ewa Felis
• Keywords: Degradation

The presence of antibiotics in aquatic environments poses significant risks to ecosystem and human health, as well as limiting the potential reuse of wastewater effluents. For this reason, efficient, economical, and environmentally friendly treatment methods are being sought which enable the decay of such types of micropollutants. One of the promising approach involves the application of advanced oxidation processes based on the generation of sulfate radicals (SR-AOPs). The main goal of this study is to assess the efficiency of ciprofloxacin (CIP) degradation via solar photolysis and photocatalysis using TiO2-P25 and ZnO in aqueous matrices: Milli-Q water (MW) and tap water (TW), with/without the presence of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) as a precursor of sulfate anion radicals. The most efficient processes were found to be photolysis in TW with PMS (200 mg L-1) and photocatalysis in TW with both TiO2-P25and ZnO in the presence of PMS (20 mg L-1 and 200 mg L-1), where complete decay of CIP molecule (<100 %) was achieved after 5 min. Based on the results, it was concluded that the efficiency of CIP removal depends on the presence of the photocatalyst, PMS concentration (in case photolysis), and the complexity of the environmental matrix.