An insight into the removal of fluoroquinolones in activated sludge process: Sorption and biodegradation characteristics.

J Environ Sci (China)

Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China. Electronic address:

Published: June 2017

AI Article Synopsis

  • The study focused on understanding how fluoroquinolones (FQs) like ciprofloxacin and enrofloxacin behave in activated sludge, examining both their absorption and breakdown.
  • FQ removal was primarily due to sorption onto sludge, with minimal impact on sludge activity, while biodegradation occurred slowly and was improved under warmer and aerobic conditions.
  • The research highlighted that the sorption process was reversible and mainly influenced by solution characteristics, providing valuable insights into the environmental risks associated with FQ disposal from wastewater treatment.

Article Abstract

The detailed sorption steps and biodegradation characteristics of fluoroquinolones (FQs) including ciprofloxacin, enrofloxacin, lomefloxacin, norfloxacin, and ofloxacin were investigated through batch experiments. The results indicate that FQs at a total concentration of 500μg/L caused little inhibition of sludge bioactivity. Sorption was the primary removal pathway of FQs in the activated sludge process, followed by biodegradation, while hydrolysis and volatilization were negligible. FQ sorption on activated sludge was a reversible process governed by surface reaction. Henry and Freundlich models could describe the FQ sorption isotherms well in the concentration range of 100-300μg/L. Thermodynamic parameters revealed that FQ sorption on activated sludge is spontaneous, exothermic, and enthalpy-driven. Hydrophobicity-independent mechanisms determined the FQ sorption affinity with activated sludge. The zwitterion of FQs had the strongest sorption affinity, followed by cation and anion, and aerobic condition facilitated FQ sorption. FQs were slowly biodegradable, with long half-lives (>100hr). FQ biodegradation was enhanced with increasing temperature and under aerobic condition, and thus was possibly achieved through co-metabolism during nitrification. This study provides an insight into the removal kinetics and mechanism of FQs in the activated sludge process, but also helps assess the environmental risks of FQs resulting from sludge disposal.

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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jes.2016.10.006DOI Listing

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