Photocatalytic removal of cefazolin from aqueous solution by AC prepared from mango seed+ZnO under UV irradiation

Presence of antibiotics in the environment specially in aqueous environments is considered a major warning about health and environment. Thus, this study aims the efficiency of coupled process of Activated Carbon (AC) prepared from mango seed+ZnO under UV irradiation as an advanced oxidation process in removing cefazolin antibiotic from aqueous solutions. This experimental study was carried out in a discontinuous reaction chamber with volume of one liter. In this process, the effect of initial pH parameters of the environment (3– 9), initial concentration of cefazolin (20 – 200 mg/L), concentration of modified, photocatalyzer (20 – 100 mg/L) and reaction time (10 – 60 min) were studied. The pilot used consisted of a low pressure mercury lamp with a 55-watt beam radiation power inside the steel chamber. The kinetic of the process was studied based on pseudo first order kinetics. Results showed that the highest removal efficiency of cefazolin antibiotics in the reaction of UV/AC + ZnO, at optimal conditions of pH= 3, contact time of 60 min, initial concentration of 100 mg/L and modified photocatalyzer of 0.1 g/L was equal to 96%. The kinetic model determined for the process followed kinetic model of pseudo- first order kinetics with high correlation of (R2 = 0.99). Results of present study revealed that photocatalyzer process of nanoparticles oxidation on synthetic activated carbon can be effectively used as an advanced oxidation reaction to remove cefazolin and similar pollutants.