ATTENUATION OF ANTIBIOTICS DURING RIVERBANK FILTRATION

Abstract

The objective of the study was to investigate the attenuation of three fluoroquinolones (FLQ's) during river bank filtration (RBF). In the present work, fate of three widely found FLQ's (ciprofloxacin, enrofloxacin, ofloxacin) has been studied during RBF through sandy aquifer. The natural aquifer materials from Delhi (India) and Torgau (Germany) were used to carry out batch and column studies. The Brunauer, Emmett and Teller (BET) surface areas of the aquifer material were 1.667 and I m2/g for Delhi and Torgau sediments. Adsorption was found to be governed by the pseudo-second order kinetics and Freundlich isotherm suggesting heterogeneous nature of adsorption. Column studies give the retardation factors for the three FLQ's in the range of 442-500 likely due to less hydrophilicity. The TOC, surface area, roughness of sediment and the DOC of water also plays a major role in the adsorption of FLQ's. The results interpreted that the breakthrough of FLQ's during RBF will take many years. The RBF appears as a significant process for the removal of FLQ's.