Abstract
The fate and transport of antibiotics in natural water systems is controlled in part by interactions with nanometer (10−9m) metal oxide particles. Experiments were performed by mixing solutions of ampicillin (AMP), a common, penicillin-class human and veterinary antibiotic, with 25nm-TiO2 (anatase) nanoparticles at different pH conditions. Both sorption and degradation of AMP were observed in the AMP-nanoparticle solutions. For AMP concentrations from ∼3μM to 2.9mM the overall AMP removal from solution can be described by linear isotherms with removal coefficients (Kr) of 3028 (±267)Lkg−1 at pH 2, 11,533 (±823)Lkg−1 at pH 4, 12,712 (±672)Lkg−1 at pH 6, and 1941 (±342)Lkg−1 at pH 8. Mass spectral analysis of AMP solutions after removal of the solid nanoparticles yielded ions that indicate the presence of peniclloic acid, penilloic acid and related de-ammoniated by-products as possible compounds resulting from the degradation of AMP at the TiO2 surface.
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