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Degradation of quinolone antibiotic, norfloxacin, in aqueous solution using gamma-ray irradiation

Environmental Science and Pollution Research volume 23, pages 13155–13168 (2016)Cite this article

Abstract

This study reports the efficiency of gamma-ray irradiation to degrade quinolone antibiotic, norfloxacin, in aqueous solution. Laboratory batch experiments were conducted to determine the “pseudo-first” order degradation kinetics of norfloxacin in the concentration ranges of 3.4–16.1 mg L−1 by gamma-ray irradiation. The dose constant was found to be dependent on the initial concentration of norfloxacin and gamma-ray irradiation dose rate (D r). The saturation of norfloxacin sample solutions with N2, air or N2O, and the presence of tert-butanol and 2-propanol showed that •OH played more crucial role in the degradation of norfloxacin. The second order rate constants of •OH, eaq −, and •H with norfloxacin were calculated to be 8.81 × 109, 9.54 × 108, and 1.10 × 109 M−1 s−1, respectively. The effects of various additives including CO3 2−, HCO3 −, NO3 −, NO2 −, and thiourea and the pH of the medium on the degradation of norfloxacin were also investigated. Norfloxacin degradation was lower in surface water and wastewater than in ultrapure water. Several degradation byproducts of norfloxacin were identified from which the possible degradation pathway was proposed.

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Acknowledgments

HMK is grateful to the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC) for research project (HEC 20–376) and MS also acknowledges HEC for financial support of this work under research project SRGP No. 730.

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Affiliations

  1. Radiation and Environmental Chemistry Laboratory, National Centre of Excellence in Physical Chemistry, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, 25120, Pakistan

    Murtaza Sayed, Javed Ali Khan, Luqman Ali Shah, Noor S. Shah, Hasan M. Khan & Faiza Rehman

  2. Department of Chemistry, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Abbotabad, 22060, Pakistan

    Murtaza Sayed, Abdur Rahman Khan & Asad M. Khan

  3. Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Vehari, 61100, Pakistan

    Noor S. Shah

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  1. Murtaza Sayed
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  2. Javed Ali Khan
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  3. Luqman Ali Shah
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  4. Noor S. Shah
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  5. Hasan M. Khan
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  6. Faiza Rehman
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  7. Abdur Rahman Khan
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Correspondence to Murtaza Sayed or Hasan M. Khan.

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Responsible editor: Ester Heath

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Sayed, M., Khan, J.A., Shah, L.A. et al. Degradation of quinolone antibiotic, norfloxacin, in aqueous solution using gamma-ray irradiation. Environ Sci Pollut Res 23, 13155–13168 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-6475-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-6475-x

Keywords

  • Additives
  • Degradation kinetics
  • Degradation pathways
  • Gamma-ray irradiation
  • Norfloxacin
  • Water decontamination