Photocatalytic mineralization of pharmaceutical contaminants in water by heterogeneous photocatalysis in the presence of LED-irradiation: A green and sustainable approach

ABSTRACT

There is an urgent need to mineralize organic pollutants such as antibiotics and other toxic organic materials discharged by various pharmaceutical and chemical industries into freshwater. These organic pollutants affect the aquatic ecosystem and human health due to bioaccumulation in the food chains and food webs. Heterogeneous photocatalysis is an advanced oxidation-based green technique by which these pharmaceutics can be degraded in the wastewater by using nontoxic and eco-friendly catalysts in the presence of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) as a source of irradiation. The main aim of the chapter is to disseminate information regarding the degradation of antibiotics and other pharmaceutics by green, non-toxic, and effective catalysts via economically viable techniques. Antibiotics are oxidized by hydroxyl radicals and superoxides generated during the irradiation of light on the surface of the catalyst. In this chapter, the authors discuss the most commonly prescribed antibiotics in the COVID-19 pandemic and how these antibiotics become environmental contaminants. They have also proposed the mechanism of degradation of these antibiotics in the presence of LED irradiation to attain a green and sustainable environment. © 2023 Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.