Intensification of ceftriaxone degradation under UV and solar light irradiation in presence of phosphors based structured catalyst

Phosphors based photocatalyst (Nitrogen-doped TiO2 coupled with ZnS blue phosphors) immobilized on macroscopic polystyrene pellets was studied in the removal of ceftriaxone (third-generation β-lactam antibiotic) from water. The phosphors based structured photocatalyst was prepared using the solvent assisted procedure. According to spectroscopic and morphological characterization, the photocatalyst particles resulted effectively dispersed on polystyrene macroscopic pellets. The photocatalytic activity tests were carried out in a laboratory scale reactor configuration irradiated by UV or visible lamps and under natural sunlight in outdoor experiments. The structured photocatalyst was effective in the removal of ceftriaxone from water and demonstrated no deactivation phenomena also after several reuse cycles in both distilled and real water. Finally, in the outdoor experiment under natural solar light, total ceftriaxone degradation and higher than 95% mineralization (measured as TOC removal) was achieved after 150 min treatment time (less than 2 KJ/L of cumulative energy).