ZNO/BENTONITE COMPOSITE FOR TETRACYCLINE REMOVAL FROM WATER VIA ADSORPTION AND PHOTO-DEGRADATION
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Date
2025-04-10
Authors
Hamdan, Yasmeen
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Publisher
An-Najah National University
Abstract
Water pollution by pharmaceuticals, especially tetracycline, is an urgent and rapidly expanding environmental issue, that exacerbated by increased drug use and improper disposal. This emphasizes the need for strategies and approaches to treat contaminated water in a manner that protects the environment and organisms from the negative effects of tetracycline residues.
The ZnO/bentonite composite demonstrates excellent adsorption capabilities due to the porous structure of bentonite clay, which offers a large surface area ideal for attracting and capturing pollutant particles. On the other hand, the composite exhibits remarkable efficiency in breaking down these pollutants by taking advantage of the photocatalytic properties of ZnO, where it serves as a highly effective photocatalyst under ultraviolet light, assisting in the decomposition of pollutants into less harmful components.
In this study, ZnO was supported on bentonite and utilized as a photocatalyst under simulated solar light. The research included studying the physical and chemical properties of the composite via various analytical methods. This study helps provide insights into the structure and composition of this catalyst and aids in understanding their effectiveness in pollutant treatment. In addition, a kinetic study was carried out to assess the efficiency of tetracycline removal and understand the reaction mechanism.
The performance of both the adsorption and photocatalysis of the ZnO/bentonite compounds in removing tetracycline from water was also evaluated under different conditions, such as pH, tetracycline concentration, temperature, amount of catalyst, and other factors, such as the effects of oxygen gas and CO2 gas, where the composite achieved high degradation rates with remarkable efficiencies of up to 87%. In addition, nearly complete mineralization of up to 98% was achieved, confirming the ability of the catalyst to perform the complete degradation of the tetracycline antibiotic into nontoxic byproducts.
Additionally, the composite was reused while maintaining its good performance, making it a sustainable and effective solution for treating water pollution and protecting the environment.