Degradation of Antibiotics in Aquaculture Seawater: A Treatment Based on Ozone Assisted with Hydrodynamic Cavitation

Abstract

Antibiotics in aquaculture pose significant environmental risks due to their widespread distribution in water, impacting ecosystem health. To address this hot issue, an ozone-assisted hydrodynamic cavitation (OAHC) system was developed for the efficient treatment of aquaculture seawater contaminated with antibiotics. The system demonstrated remarkable efficiency, achieving complete degradation of eight antibiotics within a reaction time of 20 s. At the same time, water quality parameters, such as dissolved oxygen (increased from 9.79 mg/L to 13.19 mg/L) and nitrite nitrogen (reduced from 0.14 mg/L to 0.01 mg/L), significantly improved post-treatment. The OAHC-based system minimized harmful by-products, ensuring compliance with Chinese water quality standards. As a supplementary study, a laboratory-based simulated experiment was conducted with FLO as the target antibiotic. The investigation of kinetics and mechanisms indicated that •OH plays a predominant role in the OAHC-based aquaculture seawater treatment system. As global regulations tighten on antibiotic discharge, OAHC-based technology is poised to become a cornerstone of next-generation water treatment solutions. Future research should prioritize field-scale validation and real-time monitoring to accelerate industrial adoption.