PHTOTOCATALYTIC DEGRADATION OF TILMICOSIN USING AL₂O₃-ZNO NANO-HYBRID
Abstract
The rising prevalence of antibiotic contamination in aquatic environments poses insignificant threats to ecosystems and public health. Tilmicosin, a macrolide antibiotic widely used in veterinary medicine, is increasingly detected in water sources due to inadequate wastewater treatment processes. This study investigates the photocatalytic degradation of tilmicosin using an Al₂O₃-ZnO nano-hybrid catalyst. The Al₂O₃-ZnO catalyst was synthesized via a sol-gel method and characterized using techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and UV-Vis spectroscopy to determine its structural, morphological and optical properties. The hybrid catalyst exhibited superior photocatalytic efficiency compared to individual components due to its enhanced light absorption, reduced electron hole recombination, and increased surface area. The degradation of tilmicosin was studied under UV and visible light irradiation, and the influence of parameters such as PH, catalyst dosage and initial concentration was evaluated. Results demonstrated that the Al₂O₃-ZnO nano-hybrid achieved over 90% degradation efficiency within a short reaction time, following pseudo-first-order kinetics.
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