Remoção do fármaco cloridrato de ciprofloxacina em solução pelo processo de eletrocoagulação

Abstract

This research project aimed the evaluation of the antibiotic ciprofloxacin hydrochloride (CIP (HCl)) removal in solution, by applying an electrocoagulation (EC) process. The CIP (HCl) solution was prepared with an initial concentration of 25 mg L-1 CIP (HCl) in distilled water. The experiments were conducted in an EC reactor in laboratory scale, consisting of aluminum electrodes. In order to get the best reactor operating parameters, regarding its variables (initial pH, current intensity and time of electrolysis), a response surface methodology was applied based on a complete experimental design (CED) 3³. The CIP (HCl) concentration was monitored by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and the mineralization was accompanied based on the reduction of total organic carbon (TOC). To obtain the operating conditions considered ideal for the operation of the EC reactor, a predicted second-order model was adjusted to the experimental responses and then validated by ANOVA. The influence of each reactor operating parameter was individually investigated, in a wider range than the one studied in the CED. Thus, the optimal values for each operating parameters were initial pH at 9.0 and current intensity of 0.8 A. From these responses, a kinetic analysis of the EC process was performed, reaching a rapid reduction of CIP (HCl) in the first minutes of electrolysis, stabilizing at 99% in times greater than 40 minutes. The toxicity of the treated solution was measured by applying ecotoxicity and phytotoxicity bioassays, taking as bioindicators Artemia salina and Lactuca sativa, respectively. The toxicity test using Artemia salina was susceptible to the type of remaining toxic compounds formed after the CIP (HCl) solution treatment of short duration. Furthermore, the remaining toxicity after 75 min of EC became nearly harmless to this bioindicator. On the other hand, the bioindicator Lactuca sativa was not susceptible to the action of these compounds at any treatment time. Due to the possible presence of the organic compound CIP (HCl) at a low concentration in the solutions treated by high electrolysis time, an antimicrobial activity analysis using the microorganisms S. aureus and E. coli was applied. The antimicrobial activity of the solution over 40 min electrolysis treatments was almost null or absent. In order to identify the CIP (HCl) in the sludge generated during the process, an X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis was applied. CIP (HCl) was not identified in the residual sludge or the treated solution, indicating degradation of the compound during the treatment, possibly by electro-oxidation reactions. Therefore, the electrocoagulation provided the degradation of CIP (HCl) pollutant maintaining the treated solution free of toxicity and adverse biological effects to aquatic biota enabling their disposal in the environment, if the ideal operational conditions are maintained (initial pH 9.0, current density 0.8 A and electrolysis time of 75 min).