Insight into oxytetracycline abatement via periodate driven with ferrous sulfide: parameter optimization, mechanism exploration, improvement strategies, and application performance
摘要
Waterborne antibiotics endanger ecological and human health, necessitating efficient treatment. The non-homogeneous catalyst ferrous sulfide (FeS) is readily available and environmentally friendly, capable of effectively activating periodate (PI) to degrade the antibiotic pollutant oxytetracycline (OTC) in water. Therefore, this study systematically investigates the degradation effect of OTC in the FeS/PI system. Through a three-factor (pH, FeS, PI) three-level (–1,0,1) response surface methodology optimization, the optimal reaction conditions were determined as pH 11.07, FeS 1.516 g/L, and PI 1.932 mM, achieving 83.26% OTC degradation efficiency with 39.7% mineralization rate under these conditions. Mechanistic investigations revealed: (1) singlet oxygen (1O2) and superoxide radicals (O2•−) were identified as the primary reactive species (according to radical quenching experiments); (2) LC-MS analysis proposed three potential degradation pathways for OTC; (3) wheat seed germination tests demonstrated the ecological safety of degradation products. The system’s performance could be further enhanced through auxiliary measures: (1) UV irradiation achieved complete degradation; (2) temperature increase (20–50 °C) improved degradation efficiency by 6.76%; (3) ultrasonic treatment provided 0.9% enhancement. Interference resistance tests showed: (1) low concentrations of Cl− (< 10 mM) and HCO3− (< 5 mM) promoted the reaction; (2) NO3−, SO42−, and humic acid (HA) exhibited negligible effects. Notably, FeS catalyst maintained excellent stability with only 6.6% decrease in OTC conversion rate after five wash-dry-reuse cycles. This technology offers multiple advantages including low energy consumption (ultralow activation energy), high efficiency (potential for complete degradation), and environmental friendliness (no secondary pollution), providing an innovative solution for practical antibiotic wastewater treatment.