Valorization of the treatment of antibiotic and organic contents generated from an in-situ-RAS-like shrimp farming pond by using graphene-quantum-dots deposited graphitic carbon nitride photocatalysts
Nguyễn Thị Phương Thảo,Nguyen Le Minh Tri,Trần Trung Kiên,Tra Van Tung,Tran Thi Hieu,Nguyễn Việt Thắng,Le Thanh Son,Tran Le Luu,Hans Schnitzer,Lê Thanh Hải
In this study, we investigated the possibility of a photocatalytic system that uses graphene-quantum-dot (GQD)-deposited graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) to treat tetracycline (TC) and other organic compounds generated from an in-situ-recirculatory-aquaculture-system (RAS)-like shrimp farming pond. GQDs were successfully deposited on the exfoliated g-C3N4 base through a hydrothermal treatment. The results showed that the incorporation of GQDs into the g-C3N4 enhanced its porosity without aggregating its mesoporous structure. The GQDs-deposited g-C3N4 photocatalysts revealed sheet-like structures with nanopores on their surface that facilitate photocatalysis. More than 90% of the TC was removed by the photocatalysts under UV-LED irradiation. Low loadings of GQDs over g-C3N4 resulted in a faster and more effective photocatalysis of TC, mainly driven by.O2- radicals. The photocatalysts were also applicable in the degradation of organic compounds with 27% of the total organic compounds (TOC) being removed from the wastewater of a RAS-like shrimp farming pond.