Degradation of ciprofloxacin using fenton process and its effect on biodegradability

Abstract

Ciprofloxacin (CIP) is a second-generation fluoroquinolone antibiotic used for the prevention and treatment of infections in humans as well as in animals. As an emerging contaminant in the environment, its main source is the pharmaceutical industry and municipal wastewater treatment plants. The contaminant surpasses the conventional treatment process and end up in surface water bodies and cause toxic to aquatic organisms and generate antibiotic resistance. Hence, the degradation of CIP and its effect on biodegradability using an advanced oxidation process such as the Fenton process was investigated in the present study. A maximum of 71% removal of CIP was achieved from an aqueous solution of CIP with 10 mg/L of initial concentration at 60 min with an optimum concentration of Fe (II)/H2O2 ratio of 1:10 at pH = 3. Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) were determined to find the biodegradability of the aqueous solution during the treatment process. The process enhanced the biodegradability of the solution with a considerable reduction in COD and an increase in BOD values.