Indexed by:Journal Papers

Date of Publication:2020-04-01

Journal:IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON PLASMA SCIENCE

Included Journals:SCIE

Volume:48

Issue:4

Page Number:953-960

ISSN No.:0093-3813

Key Words:Amoxicillin (AMX); atmospheric-pressure air microplasma (APAM); degradation mechanism; oxidizing ability

Abstract:Amoxicillin (AMX) is one of the most widely used antibiotic drugs, which plays an effective role in eliminating bacterial and fungal diseases. However, on account of its poor biodegradability, AMX often leads to water pollution. In this study, the AMX in water was oxidized by atmospheric-pressure air microplasma (APAM). The degradation pathway of AMX in aqueous solution was studied at the molecular level by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS). The results show that AMX can be rapidly removed by APAM. Meanwhile, eight intermediate and two final degradation products were detected. The reactivity of the AMX with different active species generated by APAM can be described in the following sequence: hydroxyl radical (center dot OH) > hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) > ozone(O-3). The APAM treatment is a promising way to oxidize AMX in the aqueous solution into CO, CO2, and H2O.