Optimization and modeling of the three-dimensional electrochemical process in the removal of ciprofloxacin from aqueous media with a central composite design

Antibiotics cause many environmental problems due to bioaccumulation, drug resistance, and environmental stability. This study aimed to investigate the efficiency of a three-dimensional electrochemical process with aluminum electrodes (3D-ECPWAE) to remove ciprofloxacin from aqueous media. Furthermore, the effect of main operating parameters as independent variables (initial pH, pollutant concentration, current density, and electrolyte concentration) on ciprofloxacin (CIP) degradation efficiency as response variables was investigated and optimized by central composite design. The initial results were analyzed and optimized using Minitab 17. The confirmatory tests were performed at optimum conditions and the process efficiency to reduce CIP concentration, chemical oxygen demand (COD), and total organic carbon (TOC). These results indicate that under the optimum condition, the maximum CIP, COD, and TOC removal efficiency was 86.72%, 48.04%, and 45.45%, respectively. The optimal values of the variables for CIP concentration, pH, current intensity, and electrolyte concentration were 80 mg/L, 5.8, 0.75, and 0.4 g/L at the optimum time (30 min). According to the results, the acceptable efficiency of the 3D-ECPWAE for CIP removal was at a relatively high concentration at an appropriate time.