Abstract
In the present study the development of novel polymer-supported nanocomposite graphene oxide (GO)–TiO2 films, based on poly(L-lactic acid), one of the most exploited bioplastics worldwide, was explored for photocatalytic applications. The nanocomposites were synthesized and evaluated as photocatalysts for the removal of a mixture of nine antibiotics, consisting of two sulphonamides (sulfamethoxazole, sulfadiazine), three fluoroquinolones (levofloxacin, norfloxacin, moxifloxacin), one anti-TB agent (isoniazid), one nitroimidazole (metronidazole), one lincosamide (lincomycin) and one diaminopyrimidine (trimethoprim), which are commonly found in wastewaters. The films were synthesized using 1 wt% GO and different TiO2 content (10, 25, and 50 wt%) and characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Findings confirmed the successful immobilization of GO/TiO2 in all cases. The PLLA–GO–TiO2 50 wt% composite film demonstrated higher photocatalytic efficiency and, thus, was further investigated demonstrating excellent photostability and reusability even after four cycles. Overall, PLLA–GO–TiO2 50 wt% nanocomposite demonstrated high efficiency in the photocatalytic degradation of the antibiotics in various matrices including pure water and wastewater.
Highlights
The occurrence of contaminants of emerging concern (ECs) in wastewater has been highlighted globally due to the potential irreversible effects on human health and aquatic biota [1]
Antibiotics are widely used [11,12,13,14] and usually present in urine and faeces of humans and animals since a small percentage is metabolized and the rest is excreted unaltered [2,15,16,17,18]. They are continuously detected in surface waters [4] and even in low concentrations they are considered a risk for human health and the ecological environment since their residues can promote the development of bacteria with antimicrobial resistance (AMR), evolving the ability to sidestep the activity of antibiotics towards them
poly(L-lactic acid) nanocomposite (PLLA) used for the preparation of the film was purchased under the trade name Purasorb PL38 (Purac Biochem, Gorinchem, The Netherlands)
Summary
The occurrence of contaminants of emerging concern (ECs) in wastewater has been highlighted globally due to the potential irreversible effects on human health and aquatic biota [1] According to their presence in household products [2,3], they have been identified in wastewater influents [4] which has become a worldwide issue [5,6,7]. Antibiotics are widely used [11,12,13,14] and usually present in urine and faeces of humans and animals since a small percentage is metabolized and the rest is excreted unaltered [2,15,16,17,18] They are continuously detected in surface waters [4] and even in low concentrations they are considered a risk for human health and the ecological environment since their residues can promote the development of bacteria with antimicrobial resistance (AMR), evolving the ability to sidestep the activity of antibiotics towards them. The issue of antibiotic removal from wastewater treatment processes is present due to their inability to biodegrade completely [12,19], becoming secondary pollutants
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