Preparation of PVA–Cotton Fiber–Carbonyl Iron Composite Film for the Removal of Tetracycline from Water

Abstract

As the use of antibiotics such as tetracyclines has increased, their presence in water has also risen, making their removal from water sources increasingly important. In this study, a film containing polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), cotton fiber, and carbonyl iron (PVA–CF/CI) was prepared, and its use as an adsorbent material for removing tetracycline from water was investigated. The characterization of the PVA–CF/CI film was carried out using SEM–EDAX and FTIR analyses. It was observed that the addition of carbonyl iron to the PVA film significantly increased tetracycline removal. The adsorption kinetic of tetracycline was found to follow pseudo-second-order model, and the adsorption isotherm model was best described by the Langmuir isotherm model. Tetracycline removal reached 90.8% at pH 3 and 1 g film dose. The q_max obtained with the PVA–CF/CI film containing carbonyl iron was 3.8 times higher than that obtained with the PVA film alone. As a result, while the addition of cotton to the films was not significantly effective, the addition of carbonyl iron was found to significantly enhance tetracycline removal. Additionally, it is possible to produce a more economical and less toxic film polymer by using PVA, cotton, and carbonyl iron.