Magnetic microsphere to remove tetracycline from water: Adsorption, H2O2 oxidation and regeneration

• Published in: Chemical engineering journal (Lausanne, Switzerland : 1996) Vol. 330; pp. 191 - 201
• Main Authors: Li, Bing, Ma, Junjun, Zhou, Lincheng, Qiu, Yong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 15.12.2017
• Subjects: Adsorption and regeneration; Hydrogen peroxide; Isotherms and kinetics; Magnetic microsphere; Tetracycline; Adsorption and regeneration; Magnetic microsphere; Isotherms and kinetics; Hydrogen peroxide; Tetracycline
• ISSN: 1385-8947; 1873-3212
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2017.07.054

•Microsphere modified to acquire magnetic, adsorptive and oxidative features.•Isotherms and kinetics obtained for the material to adsorb aqueous tetracycline.•Coexisted hydrogen peroxide enhanced reaction rates for more than 10-fold.•The microsphere regenerated for 10 times remained 90% adsorption capacity. Antibiotics emerge as potential ecological risk in the environment, and adsorption process is a promising way to remove such chemicals. We developed a simple way to produce a kind of magnetic polystyrene EDTA microsphere (MPEM), via solvothermal treatment with ferric ammonium oxalate. The resins acquired good adsorptive, oxidative and magnetic properties to remove tetracycline (TC) in water. The characterization revealed that magnetic nanoparticles had attached on the surface of microsphere, enhancing the adsorption and oxidation of TC molecule. The Langmuir model fitted the isotherms well with a maximum capacity of 166mg/g. The rate constant of first order kinetics to remove TC by adsorption was 0.145h−1, while after adding H2O2, the rate constant rocketed to 2.36h−1. Meanwhile, MPEM capacity was also regenerated by catalyzing H2O2 oxidation, with the adsorption capacity remained 90% after 10 rounds of recycling. In addition, the mechanisms of adsorption and regeneration were also explored. This material with H2O2 oxidation realized adsorption, degradation, separation and reuse simultaneously, showing great potential to remove dissolved antibiotics like tetracycline and other pollutants from water environment.