Simultaneous removal of ciprofloxacin and Cr (VI) from contaminated water by polymer-supported nanoscale zero-valent copper: Performance and mechanism

Abstract

Coexistence of organic compounds and heavy metals in aquatic environments is a widespread problem. In this study, the applicability of resin-supported nano zero-valent copper (nZVC@D201) for the simultaneous removal of ciprofloxacin (CIP) and Cr (VI) was systematically investigated. nZVC with sizes of 10–20 nm was uniformly dispersed on the resin using the ion exchange-liquid phase reduction method. The CIP and Cr (VI) removal rates of the nZVC@D201 composite were 78.68% and 94.98%, respectively. Practicability experiments of nZVC@D201 exhibited high efficiency even after five cycles and a generalized removal capacity for different pollutants. Combined with electron spin resonance (ESR), free radical quenching experiments, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), a possible reaction pathway and mechanism for CIP oxidation and Cr (VI) removal were proposed. Cr (VI) was removed through a comprehensive process including adsorption/coprecipitation and reduction, whereas CIP was effectively degraded by hydroxyl radicals (·OH) produced from the Fenton-like reactions, producing a series of intermediates. These results demonstrate that nZVC@D201 is a promising alternative composite for the simultaneous removal of Cr (VI) and the degradation of CIP from wastewater.