Description:
Enrofloxacin (ENR) is a widely used veterinary fluoroquinolone antibiotic and is frequently detected in water environments. In this study, degradation of ENR was investigated by molecular oxygen mediation using nanometer zero-valent copper (nZVC) as the catalyst. The dosage of nZVC, initial pH, and reaction temperature were investigated as contributing factors to ENR degradation. The reactive oxygen species (ROS) participated in the reaction were identified, their generation mechanisms were elucidated, and the effects on ENR degradation were assessed. More emphasis was given to explore ENR degradation and transformation pathways via analyses of HPLC-TOF-MS. The results indicated that degradation of ENR followed a pseudo-first-order reaction kinetic, and ENR could be significantly degraded (99.5%) by nZVC dosage of 0.5 g/L at 35 ℃ with initial pH of 3open to the air. • OH radicals were identified as the dominant ROS, and conversions among Cu 0 , Cu + , and Cu 2+ played crucial roles for the generation of ROS. The destruction mechanism of ENR was speculated based on analyses of HPLC-TOF-MS results as the oxidation of the piperazine ring and substitution of -COOH with -OH, which caused ENR to be mineralized and converted into CO 2 , H 2 O, and . This study provides a capable and practical approach for ENR removal in water