Title:Removal of Tetracyclines from Water by Adsorption/Bioadsorption and Advanced Oxidation Processes. A Short Review
VOLUME: 22 ISSUE: 10
Author(s):J. Rivera-Utrilla*, R. Ocampo-Perez, M. Sanchez-Polo, J.J. Lopez-Penalver and C.V. Gomez-Pacheco
Affiliation:Departamento de Quimica Inorganica. Facultad de Ciencias. Universidad de Granada. 18071, Granada, Centro de Investigacion y Estudios de Posgrado, Facultad de Ciencias Quimicas, Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosí, Av. Dr. M. Nava No.6, San Luis Potosi, SLP 78210, Departamento de Quimica Inorganica. Facultad de Ciencias. Universidad de Granada. 18071, Granada, Departamento de Quimica Inorganica. Facultad de Ciencias. Universidad de Granada. 18071, Granada, Departamento de Quimica Inorganica. Facultad de Ciencias. Universidad de Granada. 18071, Granada
Keywords:Tetracyclines, water treatment, adsorption/bioadsorption, activated carbon, photodegradation, radiolysis, ozonation.
Abstract:The objective of this study was to summarize the results obtained in a decadelong
research project to evaluate novel and conventional technologies (adsorption/bioadsorption,
photooxidation, radiolysis, and ozonation) in the treatment of water contaminated
with tetracyclines (tetracycline, oxytetracycline, and chlortetracycline). Some of
these results have been previously published. It has been found that the adsorption of tetracyclines
on activated carbon is governed by dispersive adsorbent-adsorbate interactions
and that this process is impeded by the presence of electron deactivating groups in both
activated carbons and tetracyclines. The low quantum yield values obtained demonstrate
that the application of UV radiation is inefficient to eliminate tetracyclines from water because
long exposure times are required to reach 100% of degradation. The application of
indirect photolysis, radiolysis and ozonation evidenced that tetracyclines can be effectively degraded from water
obtaining the highest degradation rate using ozone and ozone/H2O2. The use of natural water (surface water,
groundwater, and wastewater) increased the efficacy of the photodegradation process, with the low concentrations
of dissolved organic matter acting as a photosensitizer. However, in general, the effectiveness of
advanced oxidation processes was affected by the presence of inorganic anions in the solution, which act as
radical scavengers diminishing the amount of radicals in the medium. Finally, the complete mineralization of
tetracyclines was not achieved by using these advanced oxidation processes and the byproducts generated in
the degradation of oxytetracycline were more toxic in the different types of water. The results obtained in this
project have been compared with the most relevant results found in the literature.
