Ozonation and advanced oxidation by the peroxone process of ciprofloxacin in water

A bubble reactor was used for ozonation of the antibiotic ciprofloxacin. Effects of process parameters ozone inlet concentration, ciprofloxacin concentration, temperature, pH and H2O2 concentration were tested. Desethylene ciprofloxacin was identified, based on HPLC-MS analysis, as one of the degradation products. Formation of desethylene ciprofloxacin was highly dependent on pH, with the highest concentration measured at pH 10. Radical scavengers t-butanol and parachlorobenzoic acid were added in order to gain mechanistic understanding. Radical species other than hydroxyl radicals were suggested to occur at acidic pH which can explain fast ciprofloxacin ozonation at pH 3.