Ionizing radiation for treatment of pharmaceutical compounds: A review

The interest on developing and implementing emerging wastewater treatment processes over the last years has been growing. In this way, ionizing radiation appeared as an alternative technology to reduce the treatment costs, with the advantage of being a physical method with no addition of chemicals, in which the organic compounds can be degraded by both oxidation and reduction ways. The aim of this review is to demonstrate the feasibility of ionizing radiation technologies for the treatment of pharmaceutical compounds in wastewaters. Compared to other processes, this technology can provide reliable and safer operation and can be combined with other ones to enhance the degradation and detoxification of pharmaceutical pollutants

Automated summary

Ionizing radiation technology is a feasible option for the treatment of pharmaceutical compounds in wastewater, offering reliable and safe operation and the potential for combination with other technologies to enhance degradation and detoxification.