Chemical Oxygen Demand Removal from Synthetic Wastewater Containing Non-beta Lactam Antibiotics Using Advanced Oxidation Processes: A Comparative Study

Background & Aims of the Study: Pharmaceuticals are considered as an emergingenvironmental problem due to their continuous discharge and persistence to the aquaticecosystem even at low concentrations. The purpose of this research was the investigation ofadvanced oxidation processes (Fenton and Fenton-like) efficiency for the removal of nonbetalactam Antibiotics of azithromycin and clarithromycin from synthetic wastewater.Materials & Methods: In this laboratory scale study, samples of synthetic wastewaterwere prepared from azithromycin and clarithromycin antibiotics. Concentration of sampleswas 200 mg/L. Chemical oxygen demand (COD) index was selected as the parameter forevaluation in this study. Fenton and Fenton-like oxidation processes were done on syntheticwastewater of azithromycin and clarithromycin. In Fenton (Fe2+/H2O2) and Fenton-like(Fe°/H2O2) processes the influence of pH, iron and hydrogen peroxide on the removalefficiency of the antibiotics were studied and the optimum values for each parameter weredetermined.Results: The optimum condition for Fenton in removal of azithromycin and clarithromycinwere pH= 7 and 7, Fe2+ 0.45 mmol/L and 0.45 mmol/L, hydrogen peroxide 0.16 mmol/Land 0.2 mmol/L, and contact time of 1 h and 1 h, respectively. The optimum condition forFenton-like in removal of clarithromycin and azithromycin were pH= 7 and 7, Fe0 0.3mmol/L and 0.36 mmol/L, hydrogen peroxide 0.3 mmol/L and 0.38 mmol/L, contact timeof 30 min and 30 min.Conclusions: The findings of this study demonstrate that the Fenton and Fenton-likeprocesses under optimum conditions can play an important role in the removal ofazithromycin and clarithromycin antibiotics from industrial wastewater.

Keywords:

AzithromycinChemical oxygen demand , CODClarithromycinFentonFenton-likeWastewater