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Photocatalytic degradation of amoxicillin from aqueous solutions by titanium dioxide nanoparticles loaded on graphene oxide

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Abstract

The photocatalytic degradation of amoxicillin (AMX) by titanium dioxide nanoparticles loaded on graphene oxide (GO/TiO2) was evaluated under UV light. Experimental results showed that key parameters such as initial pH, GO/TiO2 dosage, UV intensity, and initial AMX concentration had a significant effect on AMX degradation. Compared to the photolysis and adsorption processes, the AMX degradation efficiency was obtained to be more than 99% at conditions including pH of 6, the GO/TiO2 dosage of 0.4 g/L, the AMX concentration of 50 mg/L, and the intensity of 36 W. Trapping tests showed that all three hydroxyl radical (OH•), superoxide radical (O2•−), and hole (h+) were produced in the photocatalytic process; however, h+ plays a major role in AMX degradation. Under UV irradiation, GO/TiO2 showed excellent stability and recyclability for 4 consecutive reaction cycles. The analysis of total organic carbon (TOC) suggested that AMX could be well degraded into CO2 and H2O. The formation of NH4+, NO3-, and SO42- as a result of AMX degradation confirmed the good mineralization of AMX in the GO/TiO2/UV process. The toxicity of the inlet and outlet samples of the process has been investigated by cultivation of Escherichia coli and Streptococcus faecalis, and the results showed that the condition is suitable for the growth of organisms. The photocatalytic degradation mechanism was proposed based on trapping and comparative tests. Based on the results, the GO/TiO2/UV process can be considered as a promising technique for AMX degradation due to photocatalyst stability, high mineralization efficiency, and effluent low toxicity.

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Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Dr. Hong for his help in catalyst analysis. The authors are grateful to the Department of Biotechnology, Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation, and Vaddeswaram India and Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan-Iran.

Availability of data and materials

The datasets used and analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Funding

This work was supported by Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan-Iran. (code: 10296).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Health, Health Promotion Research Center, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran

    Davoud Balarak

  2. Research Center of Health, Safety and Environment, Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Evaz Faculty of Health, Larestan University of Medical Sciences, Larestan, Iran

    Nezamaddin Mengelizadeh

  3. Department of Biotechnology, Karpagam Academy of Higher Education, Eachanari post, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, 641021, India

    Periakaruppan Rajiv

  4. Department of Biotechnology, Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation, Vaddeswaram, Guntur, AP, 52250, India

    Kethineni Chandrika

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  1. Davoud Balarak
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  4. Kethineni Chandrika
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by Nezamaddin Mengelizadeh, Periakaruppan Rajiv, and Kethineni Chandrika. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Davoud Balarak; all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Balarak, D., Mengelizadeh, N., Rajiv, P. et al. Photocatalytic degradation of amoxicillin from aqueous solutions by titanium dioxide nanoparticles loaded on graphene oxide. Environ Sci Pollut Res 28, 49743–49754 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-13525-1

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