Enhancing sulfonamide antibiotic wastewater treatment: A novel approach integrating ozone-assisted kaolin adsorption and PSf/TiO2-NiFe2O4@SiO2 photocatalytic hybrid membrane

This study investigates the combined effects of kaolin-ozone adsorption and the photocatalytic activity of PSf/TiO₂-NiFe₂O₄@SiO₂ nanocomposite membranes for the treatment of sulfonamide antibiotic (SAM) wastewater. The incorporation of the nanocomposite significantly improves the membrane's surface hydrophilicity, leading to a higher permeate flux, which is further enhanced under UV irradiation. The membrane's permeate flux reached 72 L·m−2·h−1 under UV light, compared to just 25 L·m−2·h−1 for the neat PSf membrane. The integration of TiO₂ and NiFe₂O₄ within the membrane matrix enhances light absorption and charge separation, thereby boosting photocatalytic activity. As a result, SAM removal efficiency increased from 85 % in the dark to 95 % under UV irradiation. The study also highlights the composite membrane's impressive antifouling properties, with a flux recovery ratio (FRR) of approximately 95 % under UV light, a significant improvement over the 65 % FRR of the neat PSf membrane. Without UV, the composite membrane still demonstrated strong fouling resistance, with an FRR of about 85 %. Additionally, the membrane achieved a substantial reduction in both reversible and irreversible fouling, with reductions of up to ∼51.85 % and ∼ 63.64 %, respectively, without UV irradiation, and ∼ 76 % and ∼ 83.33 % under UV irradiation. These results demonstrate the composite membrane's enhanced ability to resist fouling and maintain high permeate flux, making it a promising candidate for long-term wastewater treatment applications. The combined effects of photocatalysis and kaolin-ozone adsorption make this membrane particularly effective for SAM removal in wastewater treatment processes.