Degradation of anti-inflammatory drug diclofenacusing cobalt ferrite as photocatalyst

GERBALDO, MARÍA VERÓNICA; MENDIETA, SILVIA NAZARET; ELÍAS, VERÓNICA RITA; MARCHETTI, SERGIO GUSTAVO; CRIVELLO, MÓNICA ELSIE

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING RESEARCH & DESIGN

INST CHEMICAL ENGINEERS

Año: 2020 vol. 166 p. 237 - 247

0263-8762

Emerging pollutants, among them pharmaceutical compounds, are found in surface andground waters, suggesting their ineffective removal by conventional wastewater treatmenttechnologies. In this paper, the removal of sodium diclofenac, a widely used non-steroidalanti-inflammatory drug, was explored by a heterogeneous Photo-Fenton process usingCoFe2O4, H2O2and Uv germicide radiation (254 nm). Cobalt ferrites, were obtained by Pechinimethod and calcined at 600◦C and 800◦C. They were characterized by X-ray diffraction,Uv visible spectroscopy, Mössbauer and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, temperature-programmed reduction and specific surface area. The inverse spinel structure was obtained,and both materials presented good performance in the photo-Fenton reaction. A degrada-tion mechanism based on the generation of?OH groups is suggested. The complete sodiumdiclofenac degradation and 86% of mineralization of the total organic carbon were obtainedusing cobalt ferrite calcined at 800◦C. This catalyst was used in three cycles, without activityloss showing a negligible Fe leaching.