Excellent performance of a new stable LaCaCuFeO3 catalyst for the simultaneous removal of fluoroquinolone organic compounds in wastewater

This study designed LaCaCuFeO3 (LCCFO) by incorporating Ca into A sites of LaCuFeO3 (LCFO). LCCFO could efficiently activate peroxydisulfate (PDS) to simultaneous removal multiple fluoroquinolone organic compounds (FQs) in wastewater. In comparison to LCFO, the LCCFO could degrade 80 % of ciprofloxacin (CIP) and 100 % of ofloxacin (OFX) in 2 h with acceptable ion leaching. After four cycles, LCCFO retained its exceptional catalytic performance. During the reaction, the pHreaction increased from 4.4 to 6.7. Adjusting the pHreaction to 4.4 again at the end of the reaction could remove residual FQs. These findings provided a new insight into the treatment of wastewater with lower addition of PDS. Although the effects of inorganic anions on the removal of CIP and OFX were different, high concentration of Cl−, SO42−, HCO3− and H2PO4− at 10 g/L had a slight inhibitory effect on the reaction. The coexistence of radical and nonradical reaction pathways contributed to its excellent hypersaline tolerance. The LCCFO possessed good application prospects in wastewater treatment with hypersaline and complex pollutants. [Display omitted] •LaCaCuFeO3 (LCCFO) was designed by modification of Ca in the A site of LaCuFeO3.•LCCFO/PDS system could efficiently degrade fluoroquinolones with super stability.•Radical and nonradical pathways all contributed to the prominent performance.•Adjusting pH could improve pollutants removal further without more addition of PDS.