Technology and principle of removing triclosan from aqueous media: A review

Triclosan (TCS) is a broad-spectrum antibacterial agent that has been widely used as addition ingredient in personal cares and medical antibacterial products. It has been ubiquitously detected in the human body and environment due to its higher bioaccumulation character. Toxicological studies have demonstrated it does serious harm to plants and animals, and it is speculated to have strong potential toxicity to human. Thus, it has been widely concerned by researchers in recent years. Nowadays many TCS removal methods have been developed, but no review has been critically summarized its removal technologies, mechanisms and influencing factors. Here, we classify the main TCS removal technologies into adsorption, redox, biodegradation and hybrid technique, summarize the removal mechanisms of various technologies and provide their technical parameters. In addition, the influencing factors of various removal technologies are also discussed. Among them, adsorption is mainly affected by pH, ionic strength and natural organic matter (NOM); Redox method varies with the type of oxidant and reducing agent; biodegradation is not only affected by the type of microorganisms, but also affected by their living environment. Finally, we present the shortcomings of different TCS removal technology and future research recommendations.