The degradation of the antibiotic ciprofloxacin (1 mg L-1) was investigated using commercial microparticulate zerovalent iron (ZVI) at 0.1 g L-1 concentration under oxygenated conditions. The results showed faster degradation rate using 200 mesh particles in relation to 20 mesh, with an observed pseudo first order constant (kobs) of 0.130 min-1 against 0.026 min-1, respectively. The presence of EDTA (3.2 �mol L-1)enhanced the degradation rate achieving kobs of 0.282 mim-1 with 200 mesh ZVI. When ciprofloxacin was present in a sample of sewage treatment effluent containing relatively low concentration of total organic carbon (7 mg L-1), similar degradation efficiency was achieved after 90 min (96%) but the reaction rate decreased in relation to the degradation in distilled water with a kobs of 0.053 min-1. When present in effluent containing 45 mg L-1 total organic carbon, degradation rate decreased considerably and achieved 82% after 90 min with no further degradation.

Zerovalent iron degradation of pharmaceuticals present in sewage treatment plant effluent

245th National Meeting (2013)

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