Abstract
In this work, FeM composites consisting of montmorillonite and variable amounts of Fe3O4 were successfully synthesized via a facile co-precipitation process. They were characterized using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), a field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), a transmission electron microscope (TEM), N2 adsorption–desorption, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) techniques to explain the effect of Fe3O4 content on the physicochemical properties of the Fe3O4–montmorillonite (FeM) composites. The FeM composites were subsequently used as heterogeneous Fenton catalysts to activate green oxidant (H2O2) for the subsequent degradation of ofloxacin (OFL) antibiotic. The efficiency of the FeM composites was studied by varying various parameters of Fe3O4 loading on montmorillonite, catalyst dosage, initial solution pH, initial OFL concentration, different oxidants, H2O2 dosage, reaction temperature, inorganic salts, and solar irradiation. Under the conditions of 0.75 g/L FeM-10, 5 mL/L H2O2, and natural pH, almost 81% of 50 mg/L of OFL was degraded within 120 min in the dark, while total organic carbon (TOC) reduction was about 56%. Although FeM composites could be a promising heterogeneous catalyst for the activation of H2O2 to degrade organic pollutants, including OFL antibiotic, the FeM-10 composite shows a significant drop in efficiency after five cycles, which indicates that more studies to improve this weakness should be conducted.
Highlights
IntroductionFor the past few years, the high consumption of antibiotics has resulted in their continuous detection in surface, ground, drinking, and wastewater around the world [1]
For the past few years, the high consumption of antibiotics has resulted in their continuous detection in surface, ground, drinking, and wastewater around the world [1].Their presence is a threat to the ecological environment due to their chemical stability and slow biodegradation since antibiotics are harmful to microorganisms [2,3]
In case of bare montmorillonite, the spectrum indicates that Mg, O, C, Ca, Si, and Al existed the case of bare montmorillonite, the spectrum indicates that Mg, O, C, Ca, Si, and Al on the surface of bare montmorillonite
Summary
For the past few years, the high consumption of antibiotics has resulted in their continuous detection in surface, ground, drinking, and wastewater around the world [1]. Their presence is a threat to the ecological environment due to their chemical stability and slow biodegradation since antibiotics are harmful to microorganisms [2,3]. Ofloxacin (OFL) is an extensively used 2nd-generation fluoroquinolone due to its good antibacterial activity [4,5]. The presence of OFL in water results in unpleasant odors and may present a significant risk to aquatic species due to its toxicity [9,10]. OFL is still being detected in wastewater even after conventional treatment [11]. The development of an effective method for the removal of OFL from wastewater becomes imperative
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