Effect of temperature on the photocatalytic degradation of a residue of an antibiotic in urban wastewater

Abstract

Several studies showed that pharmaceutical waste is added to treatment plants or their decontamination by the activated sludge proves ineffective in some cases. The presence of drugs residues in water is related to issued releases throughout their life cycle (manufacturing of active ingredients, their use in human and veterinary medicine, the collection and destruction of drugs not used). Advanced oxidation techniques are methods of effluent treatment both liquid and gas that have evolved rapidly. The aim of this work is to study the effect of temperature on the photocatalytic degradation of of an antibiotic contained in waste water by zinc oxide in a spiral reactor. The results showed that the temperature has a favorable effect on the physicochemical parameters studied (pH, turbidity, surface tension and COD).