Review on Recent Advances in the Removal of Organic Drugs by Advanced Oxidation Processes

In recent years, due to the high consumption of drugs both for human needs and for their growing use, especially as regards antibiotics, in the diet of livestock, water pollution has reached very high levels and attracted widespread attention. Drugs have a stable chemical structure and are recalcitrant to many treatments, especially biological ones. Among the methods that have shown high efficiency are advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) which are, among other things, inexpensive and eco-friendly. AOPs are based on the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) able to degrade organic pollutants in wastewater. The main problem related to the degradation of drugs is their partial oxidation to compounds that are often more harmful than their precursors. In this review, which is not intended to be exhaustive, we provide an overview of recent advances in the removal of organic drugs via advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). The salient points of each process, highlighting advantages and disadvantages, have been summarized. In particular, the use of AOPs such as UV, ozone, Fenton-based AOPs and heterogeneous photocatalysis in the removal of some of the most common drugs (tetracycline, ibuprofen, oxytetracycline, lincomycin) has been reported.