Supercritical water technology: a promising approach for degradation of antibiotics in water

Abstract

This study assesses the potential of supercritical water (SCW) technology for the degradation of antibiotics in aqueous systems, addressing the limitations of conventional methods, including low efficiency and prolonged reaction times. The antibiotics analyzed in this investigation include amoxicillin, ciprofloxacin, clindamycin, levofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole, and trimethoprim. Key treatment parameters—temperature, feed flow rate, and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) concentration—were optimized to enhance degradation efficiency. Under optimal conditions (692.8 °C, 6.6 mL min−1 feed flow rate, and an oxidation coefficient of 0.36), clindamycin, sulfamethoxazole, and trimethoprim were effectively degraded within a reaction time of four minutes. Furthermore, reductions in total organic carbon (TOC), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) were observed at 64.1%, 64.8%, and 72.4%, respectively. Gaseous-phase analysis revealed the generation of hydrogen-rich syngas (12 N mL min−1). These findings underscore the efficacy of SCW technology in mitigating pharmaceutical pollutants and its broader applicability in environmental remediation.