Photodegradation of tetracycline using ZnO/Fe2O3 nanocomposite

Title : Photodegradation of tetracycline using ZnO/Fe2O3 nanocomposite

Abstract:

Tetracyclines (TC) are a class of broad-spectrum antibiotics widely employed to treat various human and animal bacterial infections. Due to their incomplete adsorption and partial metabolization by humans and animals, more than 70% of the TC used for pharmacological treatment are excreted by feces and urine in zootechnical liquid waste and in municipal wastewaters. In order to remove this antibiotic from a pharmaceutical industry wastewater zinc oxide (ZnO) and iron oxide Fe2O3) was developed and its photocatalytic properties were investigated. ZnO/Fe2O3 Nanocomposite was characterized by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM), X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) and Brunauer−Emmett−Teller (BET) analysis. The performed photocatalytic experiments clearly demonstrated that the ZnO/Fe2O3 composite catalyst exhibited excellant  photocatalytic activity to remove TC with yields as high as 99% , after 20 min contact time, at 2,2 mg/l ZnO/Fe2O3 concentration at a power of 34 W/m  at 22 Oc  at a Ph OF 6 The presence of iron oxide in the structure of the catalyst was enhanced  the surface area and the pore volume, and an optimize  photodegradation yield was detected. The nanocomposite was reused 30 times with photodegradation yields as high as 98 and 99% .

Biography:

Prof. Dr. Delia Teresa Sponza is currently working as a professor at Dokuz Eylül University, Department of Environmental Engineering. Scientific study topics are; Environmental engineering microbiology, Environmental engineering ecology, Treatment of fluidized bed and activated sludge systems, Nutrient removal, Activated sludge microbiology, Environmental health, Industrial toxicity and toxicity studies, The effect of heavy metals on microorganisms, Treatment of toxic compounds by anaerobic / aerobic sequential processes, Anaerobic treatment of organic chemicals that cause industrial toxicity and wastewater containing them, Anaerobic treatability of wastewater containing dyes, Treatment of antibiotics with anaerobic and aerobic sequential systems, Anaerobic and aerobic treatment of domestic organic wastes with different industrial treatment sludges, Treatment of polyaromatic compounds with bio-surfactants in anaerobic and aerobic environments, Treatment of petrochemical, Textile and olive processing industry wastewater by sonication, Treatment of olive processing industry wastewater with nanoparticles and the toxicity of nanoparticles. She has many international publications  with an H index of 42 and 6000 citations.