Background and purpose: Recently, concerns regarding high concentrations of antibiotics in the environment have increased. Tetracycline is one of the most common antibiotics in human, agricultural, and veterinary treatments. This study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of Fenton oxidation process for tetracycline removal from synthetic wastewater.

Materials and methods:In this study, we assessed the effect of changes in initial antibiotic concentration (40-80 mg/l), molar ratio of [H₂O₂]/[Fe⁺²] (5-15), and contact time (5-30 minutes) on the efficiency of Fenton process. Tetracycline concentration was determined using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). In addition, biodegradability rate was evaluated through chemical oxygen demand (COD)tests. Data analysis was performed in R software based on central composite design model.

Results:The optimal condition using Fenton process included initial concentration of 57 mg/l, molar ratio of [H₂O₂]/[Fe⁺²]= 11.27,and 30 min contact time which resulted in removal of 90.15% of tetracycline and 74.6% of COD.

Conclusion:Fenton treatment, which is a safe, cost-effective, and easy process could be used as an effective method to remove tetracycline from aqueous environments.