Green wastewater treatment of repurposed COVID-19 therapy (levofloxacin) using synthesized magnetite pectin nanoparticles, comparison with mesoporous silica nanoparticles

RATIONALE: Antibiotics have been detected worldwide in the aquatic environment. Moreover, certain classes of antibiotics have been repurposed for the management of COVID-19, which increased their use and presence in wastewater. Their occurrence even in low concentrations leads to the development of antibiotic resistance. METHODOLOGY: Magnetite pectin nanoparticles (MPNP) were fabricated and compared to an established model of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNP). Our studied adsorbate is levofloxacin, a fluoroquinolone antibiotic, commonly used in managing COVID-19 cases. RESULTS: The influence of various factors affecting the adsorption process was studied, such as pH, the type and concentration of the adsorbent, contact time, and drug concentration. The results illustrated that the optimum adsorption capacity for antibiotic clearance from wastewater using MPNP was at pH 4 with a contact time of 4 h; while using MSNP, it was found to be optimum at pH 7 with a contact time of 12 h at concentrations of 10 µg/mL and 16 g/L of the drug and nanoparticles, respectively, showing adsorption percentages of 96.55% and 98.89%. Drug adsorption equilibrium data obeyed the Sips isotherm model. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: HPLC assay method was developed and validated. The experimental results revealed that the MPNP was as efficient as MSNP for removing the antibacterial agent. Moreover, MPNP is eco-friendly (a natural by-product of citrus fruit) and more economic as it could be recovered and reused. The procedure was evaluated according to the greenness assessment tools: AGREE calculator and Hexagon-CALIFICAMET, showing good green scores, ensuring the process’s eco-friendliness. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13065-023-01048-4.