Simultaneous removal and degradation characteristics of sulfonamide, tetracycline, and quinolone antibiotics by laccase-mediated oxidation coupled with soil adsorption

The uses of laccase in the degradation and removal of antibiotics have recently been reported because of the high efficiency and environmental friendliness of laccase. However, these removal studies mostly refer to a limited number of antibiotics. In this study, soil adsorption was introduced into the laccase-oxidation system to assist the simultaneous removal of 14 kinds of sulfonamide, tetracycline, and quinolone antibiotics, which differed in structures and chemical properties. The complementary effects of laccase-mediated oxidation and soil adsorption enabled the simultaneous removal. Removal characteristics were determined by a comprehensive consideration of the separate optimum conditions for laccase oxidation and soil adsorption removal experiments. With concentrations of laccase, syringaldehyde (SA), and soil of 0.5 mg/mL, 0.5 mmol/L, and 50 g/L, respectively, and at pH 6 and 25 °C, the removal rates of each antibiotic exceeded 70% in 15 min and were close to 100% in 180 min. Sulfonamide antibiotics (SAs) were removed mainly by laccase oxidation and quinolone antibiotics (QUs) mainly by soil adsorption. Tetracycline antibiotics (TCs) were removed by both treatments in the coupled system, but laccase oxidation dominated. Electrostatic adsorption was speculated to be one of the adsorption mechanisms in soil adsorption with QUs and TCs.