M-PGMA as a new water treatment agent to remove oxytetracycline from water

Magnetic ion exchange resin is a strong base anion exchange resin with magnetic properties that can be used to remove negatively charged materials from water. Magnetic poly glycidyl methacrylate resin (m-PGMA), a new type of resin, has shown better removal performance for humics than MIEX^®. Removal of oxytetracycline (OTC) in water by m-PGMA, and factors influencing the removal, were examined, and in addition, the removal of OTC by MIEX and powdered activated carbon (PAC) were used as a comparison. Results showed that m-PGMA could remove more OTC than MIEX and PAC. The removal performance was greatly affected by dosage of m-PGMA, inorganic anions, organics and pH value. At a contact time of 30 min, the removal rates of OTC were 45%, 52% and 63% when the dosage was 5 ml/L, 10 ml/L and 20 ml/L, respectively. In comparison the removal rate of OTC by MIEX was 45% with a dosage of 10 mL/L and a contact time of 30 min. The removal of OTC was significantly increased when the pH value was above 7.3, as the OTC molecule exists as an anion in alkaline medium. In conclusion, m-PGMA is more effective than MIEX and PAC in the removal of OTC in water, and can be one of the choices to remove trace organics like OTC.