Removal of pharmaceutical micropollutants from real wastewater matrices by means of photochemical advanced oxidation processes – A review

Abstract

The vast majority of current technologies used for wastewater treatment are unable to remove pharmaceutical micropollutants. These are discharged to surface water bodies and cause serious problems for fragile natural ecosystems. The expansion of the current legislation for surface water, including the addition of new priority substances, including nine pharmaceuticals, has already been published by the European Commission. After entering into force, every EU member state will have to ensure the monitoring and limitation of the discharging of listed pharmaceuticals. Since current treatment methods are insufficient, new technology needs to be developed. Photochemical advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are among the most tested methods for wastewater treatment and show high micropollutant removal efficiency. Thus, photochemical AOPs seem to be a promising way to reduce the pharmaceutical burden in wastewater. However, there are still challenges limiting the wide and simple use in wastewater treatment plants. This review was written to fulfill the necessity of summarizing and assessing of current trends in the usage of photochemical AOPs in the treatment of real wastewater matrices, focusing on pharmaceutical micropollutants. To the best of the author's knowledge, the topic was processed for the first time.