Application of low-voltage UVC light and synthetic ZnO nanoparticles to photocatalytic degradation of ciprofloxacin in aqueous sample solutions

Ciprofloxacin (CIP) is used synthetic therapeutic antibiotic that is not easily biodegradable and is a water pollutant. The advanced oxidation process method is heterogeneous photocatalysis and for the first time, we used the photocatalytic UVC light/ZnO reaction for the degradation of CIP in contaminated water. The ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized via the sol-gel method. We used a 9-W mercury lamp, which was inserted in the solution to emit UVC light. The optimum conditions for the degradation of CIP in aqueous solution containing 10 mg/L of CIP were a pH of 5.0, 0.15 g/L of ZnO, a stirring speed of 600 rpm and an irradiation time of 140 min. Also the relative standard deviation (RSD) did not exceed 7%. From the kinetic studies, the reactions followed approximately a pseudo-first-order kinetic with the rate constant of 0.032 min(-1). This method was efficiently used for the degradation of CIP in aqueous solutions.