Photocatalytic Degradation of Ciprofloxacin HCl using Visible Active BiOS Photocatalyst and Artificial radiation

Abstract

Ciprofloxacin, a potent biologically active substance, has caused significant environmental issues when present in natural waters. The current study aimed to investigate the visible lightinduced degradation of ciprofloxacin HCl (CFX) using bismuth oxysulfide (BiOS) as a photocatalyst. A new photocatalyst BiOS has been developed and tested for the photocatalytic degradation (PCD) of pharmaceutical pollutants in wastewater using artificial radiation. Specifically, this novel material was examined for its ability to degrade ciprofloxacin HCl (CFX). A nanocomposite of BiOS photocatalyst has been synthesized utilizing the sol-gel method and subsequently characterized using UV-DRS, SEM, and EDAX techniques. A tungsten lamp was utilized to simulate artificial radiation during the PCD of CFX. Based on studies on the ideal operating conditions for the BiOS photocatalyst, the maximum rate of photocatalytic degradation (PCD) was reached at a neutral pH of 7. When compared to a saltfree environment, the rate of PCD was observed to be increased by anionic salts (NaCl, Na2CO3, and (NH4)2SO4). The Cland CO3- ions have notably increased the rate of PCD than SO4- ions. According to Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetic modeling, the PCD of CFX exhibits a pseudo-first-order reaction behavior. Therefore, it can be said that BiOS is a suitable photocatalyst for treating wastewater from pharmaceutical plants.