Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Application of photo-electro oxidation process for amoxicillin removal from aqueous solution: Modeling and toxicity evaluation

  • Environmental Engineering
  • Published:
Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The recent increase in the global consumption of antibiotics has led to faster entry of these pollutants into the environment as well as an increase in public concern about its impact on ecosystem and human health. Generally, due to high toxicity of antibiotics, biological methods are not used to treat these pollutants; therefore, advanced oxidation processes are recommended to treat and reduce the toxicity of the wastewater. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of photo-oxidation (P) and electro-oxidation (E) processes in the removal of amoxicillin (AMX) from wastewater, either as integrated or separate processes. Moreover, the effect of variables, including current density (2-100 mA/cm2), reaction time (2–120 min), and electrolyte concentration (100–1,000 mg/l) on antibiotic removal efficiency were investigated by Box Behnken design under response surface methodology, and optimal conditions were determined for pollutant removal. Then, the effect of AMX concentration and pH variables on the removal efficiency was investigated. The COD removal efficiency was also evaluated under optimal conditions, and eventually the toxicity and bioavailability of the effluent from the combined Photo-Electro oxidation process (PE) were examined. The optimal conditions for variables, including current density, reaction time, and electrolyte concentration for removal efficiency of 62.4%, were 94 mA/cm2, 95 min and 997 mg/l, respectively. Investigating the Amoxicillin and pH variables showed that by reducing the contaminant concentration and pH, the antibiotic removal efficiency increased. The toxicity and bioavailability of the final effluent show the reduction of both parameters in the PE reactor effluent. The PE process can provide an appropriate function to reduce the toxicity and antibacterial properties of effluent by removing more than 60% of amoxicillin and 30% of COD from wastewater.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. F. Sopaj, M. A. Rodrigo, N. Oturan, F. I. Podvorica, J. Pinson and M. A. Oturan, Chem. Eng. J., 262, 286 (2015).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. M. Klavarioti, D. Mantzavinos and D. Kassinos, Environ. Int., 5(2), 402 (2009).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. T.P. Van Boeckel, S. Gandra, A. Ashok, Q. Caudron, B. T. Grenfell, S. A. Levin and R. Laxminarayan, The Lancet Infectious Diseases., 14(8), 742 (2014).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. W.-h. Xu, G. Zhang, S.-c. Zou, X.-d. Li and Y.-c. Liu, Environ. Pollut., 145(3), 672 (2007).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. A. G. Trovo, R. F. P. Nogueira, A. Agüera, A. R. Fernandez-Alba and S. Malato, Water Res., 45(3), 1394 (2011).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. . F. Ayand F. Kargi, J. Hazard. Mater., 179(1-3), 622 (2010).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. E. S. Elmolla and M. Chaudhuri, J. Hazard. Mater., 172(2–3), 1476 (2009).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. E. Commission, Off J. Eur. Union., 15, 1 (2010).

    Google Scholar 

  9. A. C. Moffat, M. D. Osselton, B. Widdop and J. Watts, Clarke’s analysis of drugs and poisons, Pharmaceutical Press London (2011).

    Google Scholar 

  10. X. Yu, J. Zuo, R. Li, L. Gan, Z. Li and F. Zhang, Ecotoxicol. Environ. Saf., 106, 40 (2014).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. C. Sirtori, A. Zapata, I. Oller, W. Gernjak, A. Agüera and S. Malato, Water Res., 43(3), 661 (2009).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. N. De la Cruz, J. Giménez, S. Esplugas, D. Grandjean, L. De Alencastro and C. Pulgarin, Water Res., 46(6), 1947 (2012).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. I. Sirés and E. Brillas, Environ. Int., 40, 212 (2012).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. A. Dirany, I. Sirés, N. Oturan, A. Özcan and M. A. Oturan, Environ. Sci. Technol., 46(7), 4074 (2012).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. S. Cotillas, M. J. M. de Vidales, J. Llanos, C. Sáez, P. Canizares and M. A. Rodrigo, J. Hazard. Mater., 319, 93 (2016).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. M. Taghi Ghaneian, A. Ebrahimi, J. Salimi, R. Khosravi, R. A. Fallahzadeh, M. Amrollahi and M. Taghavi, J. Mazandaran University of Medical Sci., 26(137), 159 (2016).

    Google Scholar 

  17. M. Farzadkia, Y. Dadban Shahamat, S. Nasseri, A. H. Mahvi, M. Gholami and A. Shahryari, J. Eng., 2014 (2014).

    Google Scholar 

  18. M. Panizza and G. Cerisola, J. Electroanal. Chem., 638(1), 28 (2010).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. N. Oturan, E. Brillas and M. A. Oturan, Environ. Chem. Lett., 10(2), 165 (2012).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. N. B. Tahar and A. Savall, Electrochim. Acta, 54(21), 4809 (2009).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. E. Bazrafshan, A. Mahvi, S. Nasseri and M. Shaieghi, Iranian J. Environ. Health, Sci. Eng., 4(2), 127 (2007).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. A. Dalvand, M. Gholami, A. Joneidi and N. M. Mahmoodi, CLEAN-Soil, Air, Water, 39(7), 665 (2011).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. J. Nouri, A. Mahvi and E. Bazrafshan, Int. J. Environ. Res., 4(2), 201 (2010).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. M. Alimohammadi, M. Askari, M. Dehghani, A. Dalvand, R. Saeedi, K. Yetilmezsoy, B. Heibati and G. McKay, Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol., 14(10), 2125 (2017).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. N. M. Mahmoodi and A. Dalvand, Desalination Water Treatment., 51(31–33), 5959 (2013).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. L. Shan, J. Liu, J. J. Ambuchi, Y. Yu, L. Huang and Y. Feng, Chem. Eng. J., 323, 455 (2017).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. M. Taghavi, M. T. Ghaneian, M. H. Ehrampoush, M. Tabatabaee, M. Afsharnia, A. Alami and J. Mardaneh, Environ. Monit. Assess., 190(4), 188 (2018).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. G. Safari, M. Hoseini, M. Seyedsalehi, H. Kamani, J. Jaafari and A. Mahvi, Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol., 12(2), 603 (2015).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. A. Dalvand, M. Khoobi, R. Nabizadeh, M. R. Ganjali, E. Gholibegloo and A. H. Mahvi, J. Poly m. Environ., 26(8), 3470 (2018).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. A. D. Eaton, L. S. Clesceri, A. E. Greenberg and M. A. H. Franson, Am. Public Health Assoc., 1015, 49 (2005).

    Google Scholar 

  31. E. A. Serna-Galvis, K. E. Berrio-Perlaza and R. A. Torres-Palma, Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res., 24(30), 23771 (2017).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. L. Szabó, T. Tóth, T. Engelhardt, G. Rácz, C. Mohácsi-Farkas, E. Takács and L. Wojnárovits, Sci. Total Environ., 551, 393 (2016).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. D. Hosiner, S. Gerber, H. Lichtenberg-Frate, W. Glaser, C. Schüller and E. Klipp, PLoS One, 9(1), e83330 (2014).

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. F. C. Moreira, R. A. Boaventura, E. Brillas and V. J. Vilar, Appl. Catal. B: Environ., 202, 217 (2017).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. B. Boye, M. M. Dieng and E. Brillas, Environ. Sci. Technol., 36(13), 3030 (2002).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. A. Serra, X. Domenech, C. Arias, E. Brillas and J. Peral, Appl. Catal. B: Environ., 89(1–2), 12 (2009).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. A. Fernandes, M. Pacheco, L. Ciríaco and A. Lopes, J. Haz ard. Mater., 199, 82 (2012).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. V. S. Antonin, S. Garcia-Segura, M. C. Santos and E. Brillas, J. Electroanal. Chem., 747, 1 (2015).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. V. Orescanin, R. Kollar, K. Nad, I. L. Mikelic and S. F. Gustek, J. Environ. Sci. Health, Part A., 48(12), 1543 (2013).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. A. Thiam, M. Zhou, E. Brillas and I. Sirés, Appl. Catal. B: Environ., 150, 116 (2014).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. C. Carvalho, A. Fernandes, A. Lopes, H. Pinheiro and I. Gonçalves, Chemosphere, 67(7), 1316 (2007).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. A. Thiam, I. Sirés, J. A. Garrido, R. M. Rodríguez and E. Brillas, J. Hazard. Mater., 290, 34 (2015).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. M. Panizza and G. Cerisola, Chem. Rev., 109(12), 6541 (2009).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. A. Sánchez-Carretero, C. Sáez, P. Cañizares and M. Rodrigo, Chem. Eng. J., 166(2), 710 (2011).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. C. Flox, J. A. Garrido, R. M. Rodríguez, P.-L. Cabot, F. Centellas, C. Arias and E. Brillas, Catal. Today, 129(1–2), 29 (2007).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. S. Hammami, N. Oturan, N. Bellakhal, M. Dachraoui and M. A. Oturan, J. Electroanal. Chem., 610(1), 75 (2007).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. E. Isarain-Chávez, R. M. Rodríguez, J. A. Garrido, C. Arias, F. Centellas, P. L. Cabot and E. Brillas, Electrochim. Acta, 56(1), 215 (2010).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  48. A. El-Ghenymy, R. M. Rodríguez, C. Arias, F. Centellas, J. A. Garrido, P. L. Cabot and E. Brillas, J. Electroanal. Chem., 701, 7 (2013).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  49. L. Labiadh, M. A. Oturan, M. Panizza, N. B. Hamadi and S. Ammar, J. Hazard. Mater., 297, 34 (2015).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  50. M. Iranifam, M. Zarei and A. Khataee, J. Electroanal. Chem., 659(1), 107 (2011).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  51. J. Wu, H. Zhang, N. Oturan, Y. Wang, L. Chen and M. A. Oturan, Chemosphere, 87(6), 614 (2012).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  52. A. Khataee, H. Marandizadeh, M. Zarei, S. Aber, B. Vahid, Y. Hanifehpour and S. W. Joo, Curr. Nanoscience., 9(3), 387 (2013).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  53. A. H. Mahvi, S. J. A.-d. Ebrahimi, A. Mesdaghinia, H. Gharibi and M. H. Sowlat, J. Hazard. Mater., 192(3), 1267 (2011).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  54. H. T. Madsen, E. G. Søgaard and J. Muff, Chem. Eng. J., 276, 358 (2015).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  55. A. Zuorro, M. Fidaleo and R. Lavecchia, J. Environ. Manage., 127, 28 (2013).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  56. F. Chen, S. Xie, X. Huang and X. Qiu, J. Hazard. Mater., 322, 152 (2017).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  57. F. Hine, Electrode processes and electrochemical engineering, Springer Science & Business Media (2012).

    Google Scholar 

  58. E. Brillas and C. A. Martínez-Huitle, Appl. Catal. B: Environ., 166, 603 (2015).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  59. A. K. Abdessalem, M. A. Oturan, N. Oturan, N. Bellakhal and M. Dachraoui, Int. J. Environ. Anal. Chem., 90(3–6), 468 (2010).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  60. S. Garcia-Segura, J. Keller, E. Brillas and J. Radjenovic, J. Haz ard. Mater., 283, 551 (2015).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  61. A. El-Ghenymy, N. Oturan, M. A. Oturan, J. A. Garrido, P. L. Cabot, F. Centellas, R. M. Rodríguez and E. Brillas, Chem. Eng. J., 234, 115 (2013).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  62. F.C. Moreira, J. Soler, A. Fonseca, I. Saraiva, R. A. Boaventura, E. Brillas and V. J. Vilar, Appl. Catal. B: Environ., 182, 161 (2016).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  63. G. V. Buxton, C. L. Greenstock, W. P. Helman and A. B. Ross, J. Phys. Chem. Reference Data, 17(2), 513 (1988).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  64. C. Flox, S. Ammar, C. Arias, E. Brillas, A. V. Vargas-Zavala and R. Abdelhedi, Appl. Catal. B: Environ., 67(1–2), 93 (2006).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  65. Y. Fan, Z. Ai and L. Zhang, J. Hazard. Mater., 176(1–3), 678 (2010).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  66. R. Salazar, S. Garcia-Segura, M. Ureta-Zañartu and E. Brillas, Electrochim. Acta, 56(18), 6371 (2011).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  67. E. Guinea, C. Arias, P. L. Cabot, J. A. Garrido, R. M. Rodríguez, F. Centellas and E. Brillas, Water Res., 42(1–2), 499 (2008).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  68. A. M. de Freitas, C. Sirtori and P. Peralta-Zamora, Environ. Chem. Lett., 9(1), 97 (2011).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  69. E. Bazrafshan, A. H. Mahvi, S. Naseri and A. R. Mesdaghinia, Turkish J. Eng. Environ. Sci., 32(2), 59 (2008).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  70. S. Cotillas, J. Llanos, O. G. Miranda, G. C. Díaz-Trujillo, P. Cañiza-res and M. A. Rodrigo, Electrochim. Acta, 140, 396 (2014).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  71. M. T. Ghaneian, M. Tabatabaee, M. H. Ehrampoush, A. Jebali, S. Hekmatimoghaddam, H. Fallahzadeh and R. A. Fallahzadeh, Pharm. Chem. J., 49(3), 210 (2015).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgement

We appreciate the technical support from the Environmental Science and Technology research center at Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences in Yazd, Iran.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Science and Technology Research Center, Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran

    Reza Ali Fallahzadeh, Mohammad Taghi Ghaneian, Arash Dalvand, Mohammad Hossein Salmani & Mohammad Hassan Ehrampoush

  2. Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Amir Hossein Mahvi

  3. Center for Solid Waste Research, Institute for Environmental Research, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Amir Hossein Mahvi

  4. Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran

    Mohsen Nabi Meybodi

  5. Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Health, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran

    Hossien Fallahzadeh

Authors
  1. Reza Ali Fallahzadeh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Amir Hossein Mahvi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Mohsen Nabi Meybodi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Mohammad Taghi Ghaneian
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Arash Dalvand
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Mohammad Hossein Salmani
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Hossien Fallahzadeh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Mohammad Hassan Ehrampoush
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mohammad Hassan Ehrampoush.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Fallahzadeh, R.A., Mahvi, A.H., Meybodi, M.N. et al. Application of photo-electro oxidation process for amoxicillin removal from aqueous solution: Modeling and toxicity evaluation. Korean J. Chem. Eng. 36, 713–721 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11814-019-0259-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11814-019-0259-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation