Removal mechanism of oxytetracycline in membrane biofilm (MBFR)hybrid system

Oxytetracyclines are widely spectrum antibiotics applied to prevent ilness and increase the growth of human and especially livestock animals. In this study, oxytetrasycline removal has been simultaneously studied with nitrate reduction in H2-MBfR and ammonium oxidation in O2-MBfR. During experiments, while H2-MBfR has been fed with 0,4-0,5 ppm OTC and 20 ppm NO3-N, O2-MBfR has been fed with 0,1-0,4 ppm OTC and about 20 ppm NH4-N. The gas pressure was kept in range of 2-6 psi in both reactors. On the other hand, hydroulic retention time (HRT) were between 5-24 h in H2-MBfR and 7,5-24 h in O2-MBfR. Flux values varied in the range of 0,4-10 mg/m2.d for OTC and 17,3-568 mg/m2.d for NO3-N in H2-MBfR and 0,17-5 mg/m2.d for OTC and 17,4-420 mg /m2.d for NH4-N in O2-MBfR. The degredation products have been found as EOTC - OTC, ALPHA - OTC and BETA - OTC in the effluent, and measured to be 1, 30, 23 ppb in H2-MBfR and 1, 13, 4 ppb in O2-MBfR, respectively.