A Study on Processing Treatment Technology Using Advanced Oxidation Process of Pharmaceuticals Ciprofloxacin

In this study, the degradation of ciprofloxacin (CIP), an antibiotic, was carried out using an advanced oxidation process (AOP). The AOP-microwave system was designed by combining various components, including microwave discharge and MDEL, the addition of an oxidant (H₂O₂), and the injection of a photocatalyst (TiO2). The optimal microwave intensity for the AOP-microwave system was determined to be 0.6 kW. The effects of the combination of AOP-microwave components on CIP degradation were investigated. When microwave discharge alone (namely, M condition) or the addition of H₂O₂ alone (namely, H condition) was applied, almost no degradation occurred. Similarly, combining microwave discharge with the addition of H₂O₂ (namely, MH condition) also resulted in minimal degradation. Under the MU condition (microwave discharge and MDEL), 48% of CIP was removed after 60 minutes of reaction, while 90% removal was achieved under the MUT condition (MU condition and TiO₂ injection), and 93% removal was observed within 20 minutes under the MUH condition (MU condition and H₂O₂ injection). Therefore, among the combinations of AOP-microwave components, the MUH condition was found to be the most effective for CIP degradation. The TOC (Total Organic Carbon) removal rate increased with reaction time, and the reaction rate constant k was found to follow a first-order reaction equation with a value of 1.34×10^-2 min^-1. The reaction was conducted for 120 minutes, resulting in a TOC removal rate of 79.78%.