Abstract
ABSTRACT Novel magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers (MMIP) were prepared for selective removal of norfloxacin by effectively utilizing photocatalytic degradation and magnetic separation techniques. The imprinted material with titanium layer and multihole surface showed an excellent photocatalytic property. In this paper, the kinetics of photocatalytic degradation of norfloxacin by MMIP was explored, and the influences of environmental factors, including solution pH, humic acid, common ions and water media on photocatalytic performance of MMIP were elucidated. The results showed that MMIP had good adaptability and could degrade norfloxacin within 60 min, but the degradation rate constant decreased in surface water. Based on the identification of intermediate products, the possible degradation pathways of norfloxacin were analysed, speculating that it might be degraded into small molecules in the form of de-piperazine ring, de-carboxyl group and de-fluorine. Moreover, the mineralization ratio of norfloxacin could reach 84.2% after ultraviolet irradiation for 150 min, and the low cobalt release of MMIP enhanced the security of the material. The results of adsorption and degradation cycle tests showed that MMIP obtained by molecular imprinting technology had excellent performance in sustainable use for micro organic pollutants removal.
Highlights
In recent years, the production and consumption of antibiotics have been increased all over the world, while their potential adverse effects on ecology and human health have attracted more attention
The results showed that molecularly imprinted polymers (MMIP) had good adaptability and could degrade norfloxacin within 60 min, but the degradation rate constant decreased by 40.3% and 66.4% in tap water and surface water, respectively
The successful synthesis of the imprinted titanium layer and the porous surface enhance the photocatalytic degradation of the target template molecules at the interface
Summary
The production and consumption of antibiotics have been increased all over the world, while their potential adverse effects on ecology and human health have attracted more attention. In some bodies of water in European countries, such as wastewater, surface water, groundwater and drinking water, quinolones were the most frequently detected antibiotics (Carvalho and Santos 2016). These phenomena indicated that quinolone antibiotics were more likely to accumulate in the environment and had strong persistence (Xi et al 2019). Traditional sewage treatment technologies are not enough to remove norfloxacin effectively because of its special properties such as low concentration and high bio-toxicity (de Souza Santos et al 2014). It is urgent to develop the effective technology for norfloxacin removal from drinking water and wastewater
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