PHOTOCATALYTIC DEGRADATION OF CIPROFLOXACIN AND METRONIDAZOLE ANTIBIOTICS  USING ZnO/Fe3O4/CHITOSAN COMPOSITE

Vu Thị Tâm Hiếu; Lù Thị Xíu; Lê Tiến Hà; Bùi Minh Tuân; Nguyễn Văn Quang; Bùi Minh Quý

doi:10.34238/tnu-jst.13319

PHOTOCATALYTIC DEGRADATION OF CIPROFLOXACIN AND METRONIDAZOLE ANTIBIOTICS USING ZnO/Fe3O4/CHITOSAN COMPOSITE

About this article

Received: 28/07/25 Revised: 24/09/25 Published: 24/09/25

Authors

1. Vu Thi Tam Hieu, 1) TNU - University of Sciences, 2) Tan Trao University
2. Lu Thi Xiu, TNU - University of Sciences
3. Le Tien Ha, TNU - University of Sciences
4. Bui Minh Tuan, 1) TNU - University of Sciences, 2) Viet Tri University of Industry
5. Nguyen Van Quang, Hanoi Pedagogical University 2
6. Bui Minh Quy , TNU - University of Sciences

Abstract

Antibiotic residues in the aquatic environment have been a pressing concern worldwide. This study aims to evaluate the ability to degrade antibiotics ciprofloxacin and metronidazole in water using a three-component photocatalytic degradation ZnO/Fe₃O₄/chitosan composite. Investigations on the ability to degrade two types of antibiotics under different degradation conditions, the influence of factors (pH, time and initial concentration of antibiotics), and the kinetic model of the photocatalytic degradation process are also mentioned in the study. The results showed that ZnO/Fe₃O₄/chitosan material was capable of degrading two antibiotics, ciprofloxacin (efficiency of 87.86%) and metronidazole (efficiency of 77.46%), in water under the influence of sunlight. The photocatalytic degradation process achieved high efficiency at pH 5 (with ciprofloxacin) and pH 8 (with metronidazole). The degradation of ciprofloxacin and metronidazole by ZnO/Fe₃O₄/chitosan is well described by the Langmuir–Hinshelwood pseudo-first-order kinetic model. The rate constant of photocatalytic degradation decreased as the initial concentration of the antibiotic increased (k_{app, CFX} = 0.0063 – 0.0036 min^-1 with C₀,_CFX = 2.72 – 9.92 mg/L); k_{app, MNZ} = 0.0088 – 0.0051 min^-1, with C₀,_MNZ = 0.66 – 3.41 mg/L). ZnO/Fe₃O₄/chitosan materials have good potential for application in the treatment of antibiotic residues in the aquatic environment.

Keywords

Photocatalytis; Antibiotics; Ciprofloxacin; Metronidazol; ZnO/Fe3O4¬/chitosan

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.34238/tnu-jst.13319

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