Effect of UV(C) and UV(A) Photocatalytic Processes on Tetracycline Removal Using CuS-Coated Magnetic Activated Carbon Nanocomposite: A Comparative Study

In this study, we synthesized a novel MAC nanocomposite using almond’s green hull coated with CuS. The whole set of experiments have been conducted inside a batch (discontinuous reactor system) at room temperature. The effectiveness of different parameters in tetracycline removal pH (3, 5, 7, and 9), pollutant concentration (5–100 mg/L), nanocomposite dosage (0.025–1 g/L), and contact time (5–60 min) using newly synthesized nanocomposite were investigated. Based on the results, in the optimal conditions of pH = 9, nanocomposite dosage of 1 g/L, pollutant concentration of 20 mg/L, contact time of 60 min, and room temperature, 95% removal efficiency was obtained. In MAC/CuS/UV(C) process, the removal of COD and TOC were 76.89% and 566.84% respectively meanwhile, these values in MAC/CuS/UV(A) process were 74.19% and 62.11%, respectively. The results of nanocomposite stability and magnetic recovery illustrated that the removal efficiency was reduced by 1.5% in the presence of UV(C) and 5% in the presence of UV(A) lights during all six cycles. Therefore, this nanocomposite was highly capable of recycling and reuse. It can be concluded that considering the high potential of the synthesized nanocomposite, the photocatalytic efficiency of the MAC/CuS/UV(C) process in tetracycline synthesis was higher than MAC/CuS/UV(A) process.