Investigation of the influencing factors and optimization study for the removal of levofloxacin in water using commercial TiO2 photocatalyst under UV-LED irradiation

Photocatalysis holds significant promise for effectively eliminating toxins, hard-to-biodegrade, and persistent organic pollutants in water. In this study, we used commercial TiO2 as a photocatalyst under UVA-LED irradiation to remove levofloxacin from water. In the photocatalytic tests, levofloxacin removal efficiency in water reached 68.21% after 120 minutes at pH 4 with an antibiotic/catalyst concentration ratio of 1:20. ANOVA revealed that the model achieved significance, as indicated by a p-value of 0.009. LEVO degradation under UVA-LED is three times higher than that under natural light. Optimal conditions for LEVO removal include pH 4, LEVO/TiO2 ratio of 1:20, and UVA-LED irradiation. The regression model predicts LEVO removal with high accuracy (R2 = 0.8469). This study highlights the use of photocatalysis with TiO2 as a promising approach for pharmaceutical pollutant removal, emphasizing the need for further research in sustainable water treatment technologies.