Parametric and Kinetic Studies on the UV-Irradiated Photocatalytic Removal of Oxytetacycline from Aqueous Solution using Pelletized Magnesium Oxide as Catalyst
Author : Gabriel, Ivan Michael Basco
Major Adviser : Arocena, Rhebner E.
Committee Members : Alfafara, Catalino G.; Migo-Sumagang, Maria Victoria P.; Migo, Veronica P.
Year : 2018
Month : June
Type : Thesis
Degree: BS
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Abstract
Pharmaceutical pollution is a rising environmental concern in the recent years. Antibiotic wastes, like oxytetracycline-contaminated effluents, are pharmaceutical pollutants that pose a threat to the aquatic biota and human life. In this study, the photocatalytic removal of oxytetracycline (OTC) via UV-irradiation using pelletized magnesium oxide as the catalyst was investigated. Using a 2⁴ full factorial design, the parameters varied in the study were initial OTC concentration, initial pH, catalyst-binder ratio and presence of agitation. The response used was percent mass of OTC degraded per unit mass of pellet (%mass OTC/g pellet). Using analysis of variance test, the results showed that the initial OTC concentration, initial pH, catalyst-binder ratio, presence of agitation, the interactions between initial OTC concentration and initial pH, and initial OTC concentration and presence of agitation had significant effects on the response of the study. The highest response of 64.11 ± 0.67 %mass OTC/g pellet was obtained at 5 ppm of OTC concentration, initial pH of 6, catalyst-binder ratio of 1:3 and with the presence of agitation. A kinetic study for the photocatalytic degradation of OTC using magnesium oxide as catalyst was conducted and showed that the degradation has a second order of reaction with a kinetic constant of 0.0001 L-mg⁻¹ per min. The reusability of the magnesium oxide pellets was investigated and using two-tailed T-test showed that the pellets can be reused only once.
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