Adsorption of Fluoroquinolones from water by TiO2-modified zeolites and photodegradation under solar light (original) (raw)

MAR and ENR adsorption and photodegradation were investigated on NaY zeolite derivatized with three different TiO2 catalysts (ZT1= NaY-P25 Degussa, ZT2= NaY amorphous TiO2, ZT3= NaY-anatase TiO2) after acidic washing. The obtained materials were characterized by XRD, SEM, diffuse reflectance analysis and BET. The adsorption isotherms, investigated in natural water at native pH, showed that FQs are adsorbed in remarkable amounts by ZT2 and ZT3, with sorption capacities significantly higher than those observed for ZT1 and untreated zeolite. Photodegradation kinetics of adsorbed FQs were investigated on each material and demonstrated that solid-state photoreaction of these antibiotics takes place effectively. The degradation rate was greatly enhanced on the TiO2-modified zeolites, with a large FQs removal in about 2 hours for a 3-6 mg g-1 load. A comparable degradation required about 15 hours on untreated zeolite. Modifications in the course of the photoreaction in the adsorbed state w...