Efficiency of electrochemical advanced oxidation process for degradation of antibiotic ciprofloxacin in aqueous solutions

Introduction: Since the use of antibiotics and the release of their residuals to the environment have extensively been growing, it is expected to see mutagenated and resistant bacteria, which are a serious threat to the human health and natural ecosystems. In this study, a novel electrochemical advanced oxidation process by means of the β-PbO2 was employed in order to decompose ciprofloxacin. Materials and Methods: This experimental cross-sectional study was performed by a pilot-scale reactor. In order to prepare the β-PbO2 electrode, the electrochemical method was applied and SEM and XRD analyses were used to survey the morphology of the electrode’s surface. Operating parameters of pH, current density (CD), temperature, and antibiotics content were optimized. Moreover, COD removal and electrical energy consumption were studied. Results: The findings illustrated that the parameters and the formation of the stable layer of β-PbO2 had a basic role in ciprofloxacin destruction and the maximum removal efficiency happened under optimum conditions as follows: CD 40 mA/cm2, pH 3 and contact time 90 min. Additionaly, the antibiotic was treated better than COD and energy consumption was 38 kWh/m3 in these conditions. Also, a lower CD can be utilized for ciprofloxacin degradation, which this makes the electrode more stable in longer contact times. Conclusion: This employed method in this present study could remove the antibiotic better than conventional processes. Generally, this method has high removal efficiency in ciprofloxacin destruction with minimum investments