Adsorption study of fluoroquinolone antibiotic - levofloxacin to evaluate the possibility of its removal from wastewaters using natural zeolite

The present work is the first case where the adsorptive removal of the most commonly used fluoroquinolone antibiotic - levofloxacin (> 80 % unmetabolized in the urine) from aqueous solution as a model of wastewater treatment plant effluent by natural zeolite – clinoptilolite and its acid-modified form has been investigated under static and dynamic conditions. The effect of the inlet concentration, the flow rate and the pH value of antibiotic influent solution, also, the contact time of system zeolite/antibiotic solution on the adsorption process were examined and evaluated using the Langmuir adsorption model. The adsorption mechanism mainly composed of electrostatic interaction between the zeolite surface and adsorbate - levofloxacin. This study demonstrates and proves that natural clinoptilolite and its acid-modified form could be an efficient, eco-friendly, alternative and competitive adsorbent in terms of cheapness, selectivity and adsorption efficacy for the removal of levofloxacin from wastewaters and implemented in an industrial setting and wastewater treatment plant for purification processes.