Solar Photocatalytic Removal of Tetracycline Using Bismuth Oxyiodide: Intermediates Identification, Toxicity Assessment and Effect of Solution Matrix Publisher



Dehghani MH^{3, 4} ; Nabizadeh R³ ; Ramezanian N⁵ ; Alimohammadi M³ ; Najafpoor AA^{1, 2} ; Ahmadi Nasab M^{1, 2} ; Dehghan A^{1, 2, 3} Show Affiliations
Source: Results in Engineering Published:2025

Abstract

Tetracycline, the second most common antibiotic in production and usage, was degraded using BiOI photocatalyst which was synthesized by solvothermal method. The toxicity of TC degradation products was assessed by photoluminescence inhibition rate using Vibrio fischeri and the application of the treatment process was tested on spiked real samples. In direct photolysis, only 20 % of TC was removed, while, the maximum removal of 100 % was obtained in the photocatalysis process after 120 min of illumination. The inhibition rate for TC concentrations including 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 mg L−1 was found to be 62, 64, 75, 78, and 85 %, respectively. The toxicity of the TC solution reached the maximum after 30 min irradiation and then gradually decreased to <30 % after 120 min of radiation. any intensity peak was found in MS spectra, showing that TC molecules were completely removed. The results show that photocatalysis using BiOI can be a promising candidate for removing TC from natural water despite the presence of organic matter and dissolved solids. © 2024 The Authors