Degradation of quinolone antibiotic, norfloxacin, in aqueous solution using gamma-ray irradiation

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international 2016-07, Vol.23 (13), p.13155-13168
• Main Authors: Sayed, Murtaza, Khan, Javed Ali, Shah, Luqman Ali, Shah, Noor S., Khan, Hasan M., Rehman, Faiza, Khan, Abdur Rahman, Khan, Asad M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 2-Propanol; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Antibiotics; Aquatic Pollution; Aqueous solutions; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; By products; Degradation; Drinking water; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental science; Experiments; Gamma Rays; Information technology; Irradiation; Kinetics; Laboratories; Nitrates; Nitrogen dioxide; Nitrous oxide; Norfloxacin - radiation effects; Oxidation; Oxidation-Reduction; Pollutants; Research Article; Sodium; Studies; Surface water; Waste Water; Waste Water Technology; Water; Water Management; Water Pollutants, Chemical - radiation effects; Water Pollution Control; Water Purification; Water Quality; Water treatment
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-016-6475-x

This study reports the efficiency of gamma-ray irradiation to degrade quinolone antibiotic, norfloxacin, in aqueous solution. Laboratory batch experiments were conducted to determine the “pseudo-first” order degradation kinetics of norfloxacin in the concentration ranges of 3.4–16.1 mg L −1 by gamma-ray irradiation. The dose constant was found to be dependent on the initial concentration of norfloxacin and gamma-ray irradiation dose rate ( D r ). The saturation of norfloxacin sample solutions with N 2 , air or N 2 O, and the presence of tert-butanol and 2-propanol showed that • OH played more crucial role in the degradation of norfloxacin. The second order rate constants of • OH, e aq − , and • H with norfloxacin were calculated to be 8.81 × 10 9 , 9.54 × 10 8 , and 1.10 × 10 9  M −1  s −1 , respectively. The effects of various additives including CO 3 2− , HCO 3 − , NO 3 − , NO 2 − , and thiourea and the pH of the medium on the degradation of norfloxacin were also investigated. Norfloxacin degradation was lower in surface water and wastewater than in ultrapure water. Several degradation byproducts of norfloxacin were identified from which the possible degradation pathway was proposed.