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چکیده
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Pharmaceutical pollutants, including widely used antibiotics like Cephalexin (CEX) and Azithromycin (Azi), are increasingly discharged directly through sewage into aquatic environments, presenting significant ecological and human health risks [1,2]. Efficient and eco-friendly technologies for the removal of antibiotics from wastewater are thus important and inescapable for ensuring both human and environmental well-being [3]. Although electrochemical oxidation has been used as a specific technology in advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) to degrade a wide range of pharmaceutical contaminants, the optimal application of these technologies to some pharmaceuticals has not been well studied [2t]. While PbO2 electrodes are effective for the treatment of wastewater [4], surface modifications can further optimize their electrochemical performance and increase their operational lifetime [5]. A review of the past literature shows that no research has been carried out for the degradation and mineralization of azithromycin (Azi) by PbO2-based electrodes, and there has also been little research on cephalexin. Therefore, the importance of further study and research in this field is revealed.This study compares the efficacy of electrochemical degradation of CEX and Azi using a novel Ti/TiO2-βPbO2 electrode modified with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). The electrodes were characterized and evaluated for their degradation efficiency and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal capabilities. Degradation efficiency and COD removal after 20 min of electrolysis of Azi aqueous solution at a concentration of 50 mg L-1 and a current density of 15 mA cm-2 at pH 7 were obtained as 100% and 49.41%, respectively. Under similar conditions, after 30 min of electrolysis of CEX, the maximum degradation efficiency of 97.6% and COD removal of 70% were achieved. The findings provided a satisfactory electrode performance and a promising prospect for treating wastewater containing non-combustible organic pollutants.
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