Fabrication and implementation of bimetallic Fe/Zn nanoparticles (mole ratio 1:1) loading on hydroxyethylcellulose - Graphene oxide for removal of tetracycline antibiotic from aqueous solution

Tetracycline (TC) as an antibiotic with high consumption causes the spread of contamination in an aqueous solution. In recent decades, antibiotics are the main cause of hindering the growth of microorganisms. Also, they are one of the important groups of pharmaceuticals with extensive usage in human and veterinary medicine. In the first work of its kind, we used a suitable adsorbent of biodegradable hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC) with graphene oxide (GO) by crosslinking ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) and the Fe/Zn with mole ratio 1:1 bimetallic nanoparticles with HEC-GO support. The materials were identified using FTIR, FE-SEM, EDX, TEM, and TG- DSC analyses. The factors affecting the adsorption process (contact time, initial concentration of TC, solution pH, adsorbent dosage, and reaction temperature) were evaluated in a series of batch systems. The adsorption data showed that the high adsorption capacity was obtained on the HEC-GO and HEC-GO/Fe-Zn (mole ratio 1:1) nanocomposites at pH 3. Also, the contact time as the main factor affecting the adsorption process by adsorbents was investigated and the best contact time was 100 and 20 min. The TC removal percentages of both adsorbents were 85% and 95% for HEC-GO and HEC-GO/Fe-Zn, respectively. The maximum adsorption capacity for TC was evaluated by the isotherm models. The experimental data fitted well with the Langmuir model. In addition, pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, intraparticle diffusion, and the Elovich models were applied to kinetic data. The data indicated that TC adsorption on HEC-GO and HEC-GO/Fe-Zn (mole ratio 1:1) followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The thermodynamic parameters implied that the adsorption process was spontaneous and exothermic. Nano-biocomposite (HEC-GO/Fe-Zn) can be used as an adsorbent to remove water pollutants.

The survival and removal mechanism of Sphingobacterium changzhouense TC931 under tetracycline stress and its' ecological safety after application

Sphingobacterium changzhouense TC931 was isolated as a novel TC (tetracycline) removal bacterium through adsorption on extracellular polymerase substances (EPS) and cellular surface and biodegradation. TC biodegradation efficiency by strain TC931 was affected by solution initial pH and carbon source. Polysaccharides and hydrocarbons in EPS and cellular surface were responsible for TC biosorption. Eight possible biodegradation products were identified and the biodegradation pathway was proposed. Strain TC931 was rich in antibiotic resistance genes, and tetX_-TC931 and antibiotics resistance genome island (GI) may be acquired via horizontal gene transfer in early evolutionary history. The GI was incomplete and may stable in strain TC931, but it could develop into an intact and transferability GI with help of other mobile genetic elements. This work offers a theoretical basis for understanding the survival and biodegradation mechanisms of S. changzhouense TC931 under TC stress, and offers an ecological safety assessment for its application in environmental bioremediation.