Removal of antibiotics by coagulation and granular activated carbon filtration

Treatment of seven tetracycline classes of antibiotic (TAs) from raw waters (synthetic and river) was evaluated using coagulation and granular activated carbon (GAC) filtration in this study. Both coagulation and GAC filtration were effective for removal of TAs, and the removal efficiency depended on the type of TAs. GAC filtration was relatively more effective for removal of tetracycline (TC), doxycycline-hyclate (DXC), and chlortetracycline-HCl (CTC), which were difficult to remove by coagulation. It was speculated that TAs would be removed through the charge neutralization and sweep coagulation when poly-aluminum chloride (PACl) was added into the raw waters. The charge neutralization of zwitterionic or negative TAs by cationic Al (III) species drove removal of TAs from the synthetic water. When sufficient alkalinity was available (river water), aluminum hydroxide precipitates were formed. TAs could be removed by being enmeshed into or adsorbed onto the precipitates when PACl was added to the river water.