Application of low‐voltage UVC light and synthetic ZnO nanoparticles to photocatalytic degradation of ciprofloxacin in aqueous sample solutions

Ciprofloxacin (CIP) is used synthetic therapeutic antibiotic that is not easily biodegradable and is a water pollutant. The advanced oxidation process method is heterogeneous photocatalysis and for the first time, we used the photocatalytic UVC light/ZnO reaction for the degradation of CIP in contaminated water. The ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized via the sol‐gel method. We used a 9‐W mercury lamp, which was inserted in the solution to emit UVC light. The optimum conditions for the degradation of CIP in aqueous solution containing 10 mg/L of CIP were a pH of 5.0, 0.15 g/L of ZnO, a stirring speed of 600 rpm and an irradiation time of 140 min. Also the relative standard deviation (RSD) did not exceed 7%. From the kinetic studies, the reactions followed approximately a pseudo‐first‐order kinetic with the rate constant of 0.032 min−1. This method was efficiently used for the degradation of CIP in aqueous solutions.