Engineering paths of sustainable and green photocatalytic degradation technology for pharmaceuticals and organic contaminants of emerging concern

Photocatalytic degradation technology is a prospective technology for the treatment of pharmaceuticals and organic contaminants of emerging concern. This short review focuses on the main engineering paths of photocatalytic technology for degradation of pharmaceuticals and organic contaminants of emerging concern: (1) the selection of proper supports, engineering-oriented immobilization of photocatalysts on supports and the design of efficient reactors; (2) The balance between mineralization efficiency and toxicity reduction, the coupling of photocatalysis with other process for engineering application, especially photocatalytic biological process for total organic carbon removal and toxicity reduction; (3) Comprehensive economic cost that involves the whole photocatalytic process.

Automated summary

Photocatalytic degradation technology is a prospective method for treating pharmaceuticals and emerging organic contaminants. Key engineering paths include proper supports selection, reactor design, balancing mineralization efficiency and toxicity reduction, coupling photocatalysis with other processes, and considering comprehensive economic costs.