Degradation of oxytetracycline in saturated porous media by in-situ chemical oxidation using oxygen-doped graphitic carbon nitride and peroxymonosulfate (PMS)

Oxytetracycline (OTC) is one of the popular antibiotics accumulated in soils and groundwater, posing harmful effects on ecological systems and human health. The objective of this work is to examine the feasibility of OTC degradation using a new catalyst, oxygen-doped graphitic carbon nitride (O-gC₃N) for in-situ oxidation remediation. In-situ oxidation system was simulated with column experiments to investigate the performance of PMS activation and OCT removal in saturated porous media. Numerical modeling as HYDRUS 1D was used to analyze OTC's transport behaviors in saturated porous media. The results show that OTC transport in saturated porous media is non-equilibrium. O-gC₃N can efficiently activate PMS to degrade OTC and the increase of PMS and O-gC₃N can enhance OTC removal. A wide pH range is beneficial for OTC degradation in saturated porous media. EBCT significantly affects OTC degradation and the optimal velocity was 0.4 cm/min. The findings of this work suggest that O-gC₃N catalyst can effectively be utilized for the in-situ oxidation of organic pollutants in contaminated sites.