Removal of Cefixime from aqueous solutions via proxy electrocoagulation: modeling and optimization by response surface methodology

The objective of this study was to examine the performance of the proxy electrocoagulation method in removing Cefixime (CFX) from water. This study was performed on a laboratory scale on synthetic samples of the antibiotic CFX in a batch reactor. In this study, the effect of five parameters was investigated, such as initial CFX concentration, Hydrogen peroxide concentration, pH, current intensity and reaction time. The results show that under optimal conditions, Proxy Electrocoagulation Process can remove CFX up to 92.25% with a desirability of 1.0. Central composite design (CCD) proposed a quadratic model for this process. Hydrogen peroxide concentration, solution pH, current density and reaction time, was investigated using a CCD. The adequacy of the model was confirmed using statistical tests such as; F-values of 17.66, p-values of 0.0001 and lack of fit of 0.552 for the model, respectively, R-2 = 0.819, R-adj(2) = 0.77, R-pred(2) = 0.66, AP = 19.23. Peroxidation electrocoagulation can be an effective method in removing the antibiotic CFX from water. Of course, more research should be done economically compared to other methods. [GRAPHICS] .