The effect of nanomaterials in the treatment of medical waste in hospitals

Abstract

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the amount of medical waste produced, which poses a serious threat to the environment. Within such waste, the presence of antibiotics, which are now widely used, poses a potential threat to human health. This paper investigates the ability of Fe–Mn-NAM adsorbent material made from water hyacinth extract, iron chloride, and manganese sulfate, to adsorb the antibiotics norfloxacin (NOR) and ofloxacin (OFLX) in medical solid waste. Experimental results indicated that the specific surface area of the Fe–Mn-NAM nanosorbent material was 32.56 m2/g, with an average pore volume of 0.083 cm3/g and an average pore size of 3.21 nm. The amount of antibiotics adsorbed by Fe–Mn-NAM peaked under weakly alkaline conditions, and the capacity of the material to adsorb NOR significantly exceeded that for OFLX. There was a negative correlation between the amount of Fe–Mn-NAM adsorbent material added and the adsorption of NOR and OFLX, and a positive correlation with the antibiotic removal rate. At the same adsorbent dosage, the amount of adsorption and the removal rate of NOR by the Fe–Mn-NAM adsorbent material were significantly higher than for OFLX. Through electrostatic attraction, hydrogen bonding, surface complexation, and surface hydrophobicity, the Fe–Mn-NAM adsorbent material demonstrated a certain capacity to treat and eliminate NOR and OFLX in medical solid waste.