Parametric and Kinetic Studies on the UV-Irradiated Adsorption of Aqueous Oxytetracycline on Synthesized Alumina Over Aluminum Sheets

Author : Gonzales, Mauline Issa Fatalla
Major Adviser : Arocena, Rhebner E. 
Committee Members : Alfafara, Catalino G.; Capunitan, Jewel A.; Bautista, Ramer P. 
Year : 2016
Month : July
Type : Thesis
Degree: BS
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Abstract

As antibiotics, such as oxytetracycline, become one of the emerging pollutants in aquatic resources, different methods to remove them in wastewaters are established. In this study, adsorption of aqueous oxytetracycline (OTC) on aluminum oxide from aluminum sheets was investigated. Synthesized aluminum oxide was characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and Scanning Electron Microscope. Using Design Expert® 10, physical parameters such as initial OTC concentration and the interaction effect of initial OTC concentration and initial pH were found to have significant effects on OTC uptake per gram of aluminum oxide in both adsorption setups (with and without UV irradiation) having p-values of 0.0146 and 0.0278, respectively for UV-irradiated adsorption, and p-values of 0.0010 and 0.0029, respectively for adsorption without UV irradiation. Higher OTC uptake was observed at higher initial OTC concentration, for both setups. For UV-irradiated adsorption, at higher pH, OTC uptake from lower to higher initial OTC concentration, though increasing, has little change. Conversely, in the setup without UV irradiation, increasing OTC uptake with larger change was observed at higher pH in the analysis. The condition that had the highest adsorptive OTC uptake was found to be at initial OTC concentration of 50 ppm, initial pH of 6 and with UV light source with a value of 0.0883 mg/g. The adsorption kinetics of oxytetracycline onto alumina was found to follow a pseudo-second-order model. The calculated R² and Qₑ of the pseudo-second-order kinetic model are 0.9798 and 0.2170 mg/g, respectively. From the kinetics data, the adsorption reached equilibrium in about 8 hours.


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