Degradation of the emerging concern pollutant ampicillin in aqueous media by sonochemical advanced oxidation processes - Parameters effect, removal of antimicrobial activity and pollutant treatment in hydrolyzed urine

Ultrasonic treatment of endocrine disrupting compounds, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products in water: An updated review

Pharmaceuticals, personal care products (PPCPs), and endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) have seen a recent sustained increase in usage, leading to increasing discharge and accumulation in wastewater. Conventional water treatment and disinfection processes are somewhat limited in effectively addressing this micropollutant issue. Ultrasonication (US), which serves as an advanced oxidation process, is based on the principle of ultrasound irradiation, exposing water to high-frequency waves, inducing thermal decomposition of H2O while using the produced radicals to oxidize and break down dissolved contaminants. This review evaluates research over the past five years on US-based technologies for the effective degradation of EDCs and PPCPs in water and assesses various factors that can influence the removal rate: solution pH, temperature of water, presence of background common ions, natural organic matter, species that serve as promoters and scavengers, and variations in US conditions (e.g., frequency, power density, and reaction type). This review also discusses various types of carbon/non-carbon catalysts, O3 and ultraviolet processes that can further enhance the degradation efficiency of EDCs and PPCPs in combination with US processes. Furthermore, numerous types of EDCs and PPCPs and recent research trends for these organic contaminants are considered.

Accumulation of antibiotics in the environment: Have appropriate measures been taken to protect Canadian human and ecological health?

In Canada, every day, contaminants of emerging concern (CEC) are discharged from waste treatment facilities into freshwaters. CECs such as pharmaceutical active compounds (PhACs), personal care products (PCPs), per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and microplastics are legally discharged from sewage treatment plants (STPs), water reclamation plants (WRPs), hospital wastewater treatment plants (HWWTPs), or other forms of wastewater treatment facilities (WWTFs). In 2006, the Government of Canada established the Chemicals Management Plan (CMP) to classify chemicals based on a risk-priority assessment, which ranked many CECs such as PhACs as being of low urgency, therefore permitting these substances to continue being released into the environment at unmonitored rates. The problem with ranking PhACs as a low priority is that CMP's risk management assessment overlooks the long-term environmental and synergistic effects of PhAC accumulation, such as the long-term risk of antibiotic CEC accumulation in the spread of antibiotic resistance genes. The goal of this review is to specifically investigate antibiotic CEC accumulation and associated environmental risks to human and environmental health, as well as to determine whether appropriate legislative strategies are in place within Canada's governance framework. In this research, secondary data on antibiotic CEC levels in Canadian and international wastewaters, their potential to promote antibiotic-resistant residues, associated environmental short- and long-term risks, and synergistic effects were all considered. Unlike similar past reviews, this review employed an interdisciplinary approach to propose new strategies from the perspectives of science, engineering, and law.

Ultrasonic reactor set-ups and applications: A review

Sonochemistry contributes to green science as it uses less hazardous solvents and methods to carry out a reaction. In this review, different reactor designs are discussed in detail providing the necessary knowledge for implementing various processes. The main characteristics of ultrasonic batch systems are their low cost and enhanced mixing; however, they still have immense drawbacks such as their scalability. Continuous flow reactors offer enhanced production yields as the limited cognition which governs the design of these sonoreactors, renders them unusable in industry. In addition, microstructured sonoreactors show improved heat and mass transfer phenomena due to their small size but suffer though from clogging. The optimisation of various conditions of regulations, such as temperature, frequency of ultrasound, intensity of irradiation, sonication time, pressure amplitude and reactor design, it is also discussed to maximise the production rates and yields of reactions taking place in sonoreactors. The optimisation of operating parameters and the selection of the reactor system must be considered to each application's requirements. A plethora of different applications that ultrasound waves can be implemented are in the biochemical and petrochemical engineering, the chemical synthesis of materials, the crystallisation of organic and inorganic substances, the wastewater treatment, the extraction processes and in medicine. Sonochemistry must overcome challenges that consider the scalability of processes and its embodiment into commercial applications, through extensive studies for understanding the designs and the development of computational tools to implement timesaving and efficient theoretical studies.

Fungal Bioremediation of the β-Lactam Antibiotic Ampicillin under Laccase-Induced Conditions

Due to widespread overuse, pharmaceutical compounds, such as antibiotics, are becoming increasingly prevalent in greater concentrations in aquatic ecosystems. In this study, we investigated the capacity of the white-rot fungus, Coriolopsis gallica (a high-laccase-producing fungus), to biodegrade ampicillin under different cultivation conditions. The biodegradation of the antibiotic was confirmed using high-performance liquid chromatography, and its antibacterial activity was evaluated using the bacterial growth inhibition agar well diffusion method, with Escherichia coli as an ampicillin-sensitive test strain. C. gallica successfully eliminated ampicillin (50 mg L-1) after 6 days of incubation in a liquid medium. The best results were achieved with a 9-day-old fungal culture, which treated a high concentration (500 mg L-1) of ampicillin within 3 days. This higher antibiotic removal rate was concomitant with the maximum laccase production in the culture supernatant. Meanwhile, four consecutive doses of 500 mg L-1 of ampicillin were removed by the same fungal culture within 24 days. After that, the fungus failed to remove the antibiotic. The measurement of the ligninolytic enzyme activity showed that C. gallica laccase might participate in the bioremediation of ampicillin.

Degradation of Ampicillin with antibiotic activity removal using persulfate and submersible UVC LED: Kinetics, mechanism, electrical energy and cost analysis

Effective water treatment to remove antibiotics and its activity from contaminated water is urgently needed to prevent antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) emergence. In this study, we investigated degradation of Ampicillin (AMP), an extensively used β-lactam antibiotic, using submersible Ultraviolet C Light Emitting Diode (λmax = 276 nm) irradiation source, and Persulfate (UVC LED/PS system). Pseudo first order rate constant (kobs) for degradation of AMP (1 ppm) by UVC LED/PS system was determined to be 0.5133 min-1 (PS = 0.2 mM). kobs value at pH 2.5 (0.7259 min-1) was found to be higher than pH 6.5 (0.5133 min-1) and pH 12 (0.1745 min-1). kobs value for degradation of AMP in deionized water spiked with inorganic anions (Cl-=0.5369 min-1,SO42-=0.4545 min-1, NO3-=0.1526 min-1, HCO3-=0.0226 min-1), in real tap water (0.1182 min-1) and simulated ground water (0.0372 min-1) were presented. Radical scavenging experiment reveal involvement of sulfate radical anion and hydroxyl radical in UVC LED/PS system. EPR analysis confirms the generation of sulfate radical anion and hydroxyl radical. Importantly, 74% reduction of total organic carbon (TOC) occurred within 60 min of AMP treatment by UVC LED/PS system. Seven degradation by-products were identified by high resolution mass spectrometry, and degradation pathways were proposed. Antibacterial activity of AMP towards Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus was completely removed after UVC LED/PS treatment. ECOSAR model predicted no very toxic degradation by-products generation by UVC LED/PS system. Electrical Energy per order (EEo) and cost of UVC LED/PS system were determined to be 0.9351 kW/m3/order and ₹ 7.91/m3 ($ 0.095/m3 or € 0.087/m3), respectively. Overall, this study highlights, UVC LED/PS system as energy efficient, low-cost, and its potential to emerge as sulfate radical anion based advanced oxidation process (AOP) to treat water with antibiotics.

Degradation of reactive red 198 dye from aqueous solutions by combined technology advanced sonofenton with zero valent iron: Characteristics/ effect of parameters/kinetic studies

Dyes are one of the most common contaminants in industrial effluents, whose continuous release into the environment has become an increasing global concern. In this work, nanoparticles of zero-valent iron (NZVI) were synthesized using the chemical regeneration method ،and were utilized for the first time as a catalyst in the advanced Sono-Nano-Fenton hybrid method for the decomposition of Reactive Red 198 (RR198). The properties of zero-valent iron nanoparticles were analyzed using SEM and XRD. The effect of pH, initial dye concentration, nanoparticle dosage, zero-valent iron and H2O2 concentration on the decomposition efficiency of Red Reactive 198 was investigated. Comparing the efficiency of Reactivate 198 dye degradation in Sonolysis, Sono-NZVI, Sono-H2O2 and Sono-Nano Fenton processes showed that 97 % efficiency was achieved by the Sono-Nano Fenton process in 60 min. The kinetics of the removal process showed that this process follows pseudo-first-order kinetics and the Langmuir-Hinshelwood model. The results indicate that the effectiveness of the ultrasonic process in removing resistant organic pollutants such as dyes increases tremendously with the synergy of the Fenton process.

Recent progress in mineralization of emerging contaminants by advanced oxidation process: A review

Emerging contaminants are chemicals generated due to the usage of pesticide, endocrine disrupting compounds, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products and are liberated into the environment in trace quantities. The emerging contaminants eventually become a greater menace to living beings owing to their wide range and inhibitory action. To diminish these emerging contaminants from the environment, an Advanced Oxidation Process was considered as an efficient option. The Advanced Oxidation Process is an efficient method for mineralizing fractional or generous contaminants due to the generation of reactive species. The primary aim of this review paper is to provide a thorough knowledge on different Advanced Oxidation Process methods and to assess their mineralization efficacy of emerging contaminants. This study indicates the need for an integrated process for enhancing the treatment efficiency and overcoming the drawbacks of the individual Advanced Oxidation Process. Further, its application concerning technical and economic aspects is reviewed. Until now, most of the studies have been based on lab or pilot scale and do not represent the actual scenario of the emerging contaminant mineralization. Thus, the scaling up of the process was discussed, and the major challenges in large scale implementation were pointed out.

Treatment of landfill leachate by combined use of ultrasound and photocatalytic process using fly ash as catalyst

Advanced oxidation processes, such as sonophotocatalysis and photocatalysis, have been proven to be interesting alternatives for the effective treatment of old landfill leachates. Since there is no specific information about which parameters help to improve the treatment efficiency when using fly ash (FA) in a sonophotoreactor, this research focuses on evaluating the use of an ultrasound process (US) combined with a photo-Fenton process, with FA as a catalyst for the first time. The removals of colour, chemical oxygen demand (COD), and aromatic compounds (UV 254) present in landfill leachates were studied using a factorial design, where the effect of different loads of FA (1, 1.5, and 2 g FA/L), pH (pH = 3, 6, and 8.9), and US frequency irradiation (576, 864, and 1138 kHz) on the efficiency of photo-Fenton was evaluated. The highest removals of COD (40.7%), colour (36.8%), and UV 254 (50.8%) were achieved adjusting the pH to 3, adding 2 g of FA/L, and applying 576 kHz of US frequency. It was found that pH is the parameter that has the highest effect on pollutant removal (95% confidence level). In addition, the removals of COD, colour, and UV 254 increased at lower pH values and US frequency. Also, the presence of Fe2O3, SiO2, and TiO2 in the FA under UV irradiation and ultrasound process, improved the removal of complex organic matter present in the landfill leachate, where HO• was the most important radical.

Ultrasound-based advanced oxidation processes for landfill leachate treatment: Energy consumption, influences, mechanisms and perspectives

Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) based on ultrasound (US) have attracted considerable attention in recent years due to its advantages in the degradation of landfill leachate. The review summarizes the existing treatment methods of leachate from lab-scale, compares their advantages and disadvantages by focusing on the degradation of emerging contaminants (ECs) in the leachate. Then the US-based AOPs are introduced emphatically, including their degradation mechanisms, influencing factors, energy consumption, further optimization methods as well as the possibility of field-scale application are systematically described. Moreover, this review also expounds on the advantages of dual-frequency US (DFUS) technology compared with single-frequency US, and a theoretically feasible DFUS process is proposed to treat ECs in the leachate. Finally, suggestions and prospects for US technologies in treating landfill leachate are put forward to aid future research on landfill leachate treatment. Meaningfully, this manuscript will provide reference values of US-based technologies in landfill leachate treatment for the practical use, facilitating the development of US-based AOPs in landfill leachate management and disposal.

Application of solar photo-electro-Fenton technology to petroleum refinery wastewater degradation: Optimization of operational parameters

Industrial and agricultural advances have led to global issues such as contamination of water sources and lack of access to clean water. Wastewater from petroleum refineries must be subjected to treatment as it poses a significant environmental threat. The present research aimed to reduce the level of chemical oxygen demand (COD) of an effluent from Bijee petroleum refinery plant, Iraq, using solar photo-electro-Fenton (SPEF) process operated in a batch recycle model. The electrochemical reactor used in the present research was of a tubular design with an anode composed of porous graphite rod and a concentric cylindrical cathode made of the same material. The impacts of operating parameters such as current density (10-50 mA/cm²), Fe²⁺ concentration (0.2-0.8 mM), NaCl addition (0-1 g/L), and time (30-90 min) on the COD removal efficiency were explored based on the response surface methodology (RSM). Results showed that the impact of Fe²⁺ concentration was most prominent, with an effective contribution of 47.7%, followed by current density, with a contribution of 18.26%, and the addition of NaCl, with a contribution of 11.20%. COD removal was found to increase with an increase in current density, Fe²⁺ concentration, NaCl addition, and time, respectively, while energy consumption was found to increase significantly with an increase in current density and a decrease in Fe²⁺ concentration, respectively. The optimum conditions were observed to be an initial pH of 3, current density of 10 mA/cm², Fe²⁺ concentration of 0.8 mM, NaCl addition of 0.747 g/L, and a duration of 87 min, upon which 93.20% COD removal efficiency was achieved, with an energy consumption of 15.97 kWh/kg COD.

Methods involved in the treatment of four representative pharmaceuticals in hospital wastewater using sonochemical and biological processes

A primary pollution source by pharmaceuticals is hospital wastewater (HWW). Herein, the methods involved in the action of a biological system (BS, aerobic activated sludge) or a sonochemical treatment (US, 375 kHz and 30.8 W), for degrading four relevant pharmaceuticals (azithromycin, ciprofloxacin, paracetamol, and valsartan) in HWW, are shown. Before treatment of HWW, the correct performance of BS was assessed using glucose as a reference substance, monitoring oxygen consumption, and organic carbon removal. Meanwhile, for US, a preliminary test using ciprofloxacin in distilled water was carried out. The determination of risk quotients (RQ) and theoretical analyses about reactive moieties on these target substances are also presented. For both, the degradation of the pharmaceuticals and the calculation of RQ, analyses were performed by LC-MS/MS. The BS action decreased the concentration of paracetamol and valsartan by ∼96 and 86%, respectively. However, a poor action on azithromycin (2% removal) was found, whereas ciprofloxacin concentration increased ∼20%; leading to an RQ value of 1.61 (high risk) for the pharmaceuticals mixture. The analyses using a biodegradation pathway predictor (EAWAG-BDD methodology) revealed that the amide group on paracetamol and alkyl moieties on valsartan could experience aerobic biotransformations. In turn, US action decreased the concentration of the four pharmaceuticals (removals > 60% for azithromycin, ciprofloxacin, and paracetamol), diminishing the environmental risk (RQ: 0.51 for the target pharmaceuticals mixture). Atomic charge analyses (based on the electronegativity equalization method) were performed, showing that the amino-sugar on azithromycin; piperazyl ring, and double bond close to the two carbonyls on ciprofloxacin, acetamide group on paracetamol, and the alkyl moieties bonded to the amide group of valsartan are the most susceptible moieties to attacks by sonogenerated radicals. The LC-MS/MS analytical methodology, RQ calculations, and theoretical analyses allowed for determining the degrading performance of BS and US toward the target pollutants in HWW.•Biological and sonochemical treatments as useful methods for degrading 4 representative pharmaceuticals are presented.•Sonochemical treatment had higher degrading action than the biological one on the target pharmaceuticals.•Methodologies for risk environmental calculation and identification of moieties on the pharmaceuticals susceptible to radical attacks are shown.

Carbonized polyaniline-activated peracetic acid advanced oxidation process for organic removal: Efficiency and mechanisms

Recently, advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) based upon peracetic acid (PAA) with high efficiency for degrading aqueous organic contaminants have attracted extensive attention. Herein, a novel metal-free N-doped carbonaceous catalyst, namely, carbonized polyaniline (CPANI), was applied to activate PAA to degrade phenolic and pharmaceutical pollutants. The results showed that the CPANI/PAA system could effectively degrade 10 μM phenol in 60 min with low concentrations of PAA (0.1 mM) and catalyst (25 mg L^-1). This system also performed well within a wide pH range of 5-9 and displayed high tolerance to Cl^-, HCO₃^- and humic acid. The nonradical pathway [singlet oxygen (¹O₂)] was found to be the dominant pathway for degrading organic contaminants in the CPNAI/PAA system. Systematic characterization revealed that the graphitic N, pyridinic N, carbonyl groups (CO) and defects played the role of active sites on CPANI during the activation of PAA. The catalytic capacity of spent CPANI could be conveniently recovered by thermal treatment. The findings will be helpful for the application of metal-free carbonaceous catalyst/PAA processes in decontaminating water.

Integration of ozonation with water treatment for pharmaceuticals removal from Arroio Diluvio in southern Brazil

Pharmaceutical compounds can reach water bodies through sewage systems. The process of water treatment is insufficient for the removal of these contaminants. The ozonation has great potential to be integrated into the treatment, since it promotes the reduction of pharmaceuticals, reduces the generation of disinfection byproducts and can reduce operational costs. In this work, the integration of the ozonation process with water treatment was studied. The ozone was applied in the pre-oxidation and intermediate ozonation stages, to evaluate the dependence of different variables. Water samples were collected from Arroio Diluvio, a river of the city of Porto Alegre (Brazil). The doses of ozone were maintained between 0.5 and 1.0 mgO₃ L^-1 while the coagulant was between 25 and 150 mg·L^-1. Pre-ozonation resulted in a removal of pharmaceuticals at pH 10.0, time of 15 min and coagulant concentration of 52.5 mgL^-1. The intermediate ozonation provided a removal with pH 10.0 and a time of 5 min of bubbling. Based on the results, it was confirmed that the synergy of the ozonation process with conventional water treatment is an effective, sensitive and fast method for the removal of pharmaceuticals from the aqueous medium.

Possibilities and Limitations of the Sono-Fenton Process Using Mid-High-Frequency Ultrasound for the Degradation of Organic Pollutants

Mid-high-frequency ultrasound (200-1000 kHz) eliminates organic pollutants and also generates H₂O₂. To take advantage of H₂O₂, iron species can be added, generating a hybrid sono-Fenton process (sF). This paper presents the possibilities and limitations of sF. Heterogeneous (a natural mineral) and homogeneous (Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺ ions) iron sources were considered. Acetaminophen, ciprofloxacin, and methyl orange were the target organic pollutants. Ultrasound alone induced the pollutants degradation, and the dual competing role of the natural mineral (0.02-0.20 g L^-1) meant that it had no significant effects on the elimination of pollutants. In contrast, both Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺ ions enhanced the pollutants' degradation, and the elimination using Fe²⁺ was better because of its higher reactivity toward H₂O₂. However, the enhancement decreased at high Fe²⁺ concentrations (e.g., 5 mg L^-1) because of scavenger effects. The Fe²⁺ addition significantly accelerated the elimination of acetaminophen and methyl orange. For ciprofloxacin, at short treatment times, the degradation was enhanced, but the pollutant complexation with Fe³⁺ that came from the Fenton reaction caused degradation to stop. Additionally, sF did not decrease the antimicrobial activity associated with ciprofloxacin, whereas ultrasound alone did. Therefore, the chemical structure of the pollutant plays a crucial role in the feasibility of the sF process.

Degradation of β-lactam antibiotic ampicillin using sustainable microbial peroxide producing cell system

The enormous use of synthetic antibiotic and personal care products has impacted the natural microbiome and ecosystem. Overtime, treatment technologies developed suffered due to incomplete removal hence, a pilot dual-chambered microbial peroxide-producing cell that degrades ampicillin catalyzed by homogenous Fenton-reaction was designed. The system reported maximum current at 16.714 ± 0.048 µAcm^-2, power output of 1.956 ± 0.015 mW m^-2; 88 ± 2.90 mM of H₂O₂ generation with Na₂SO₄ that degraded 95.9 ± 3.00 to 97.8 ± 3.20% of 10 mg L^-1ampicillin within 72 hrs with electro-active Shewanella putrefaciens. An E. coli bioactivity assay with ampicillin exhibited no sensitivity zone due to the loss of activity. Analytical spectroscopic studies reveal β-Lactam ring deformation; Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy clearly shows the presence of degradation metabolites. A sustainable wastewater treatment with 72 ± 4.5% reduction in anodic chemical oxygen demand was achieved. Present results designate the technology, as promising for effective antibiotics removal for wastewater treatment concomitant with electricity generation.

Distinct bacterial communities and resistance genes enriched by triclocarban-contaminated polyethylene microplastics in antibiotics and heavy metals polluted sewage environment

Knowledge gaps still surround the question of what biofilms form on contaminated microplastics (MPs) in the antibiotics and (or) heavy metals polluted sewage. In this work, the clean polyethylene microplastics (PE MPs) and triclocarban (TCC)-contaminated PE MPs were cultured in the sewage containing only ampicillin (AMP), only copper (Cu) and both AMP and Cu for 28 days. The results showed that the TCC on PE MPs (with concentration of 2.48 mg/g PE MPs) did not impede the adhesion of the bacteria and the formation of biofilm. Moreover, many potential pathogenic bacteria (Aquabacterium and Pseudoxanthomonas) and potential resistant bacteria (Stenotrophomonas) were more likely to attach on TCC-contaminated PE MPs compared with clean PE MPs. In addition, biofilms of TCC-contaminated PE MPs had highest potential pathogenic functions. TCC-contaminated PE MPs also caused the increases of various resistance genes in both biofilm and sewage. The co-occurrence of TCC, AMP and Cu might exert a stronger selective pressure on bacterial communities and promote the co-selection of resistance genes. In addition, TCC-contaminated PE MPs resulted in higher abundance of five mobile genetic elements (MGEs) (intI1, intI3, tnpA-04, IS613 and trb-C) in sewage, which might further promote the transmission of resistance genes.

A Review of Hybrid Process Development Based on Electrochemical and Advanced Oxidation Processes for the Treatment of Industrial Wastewater

Nowadays, increased human activity, industrialization, and urbanization result in the production of enormous quantities of wastewater. Generally, physicochemical and biological methods are employed to treat industrial effluent and wastewater and have demonstrated high efficacy in removing pollutants. However, some industrial effluent and wastewater contain contaminants that are extremely difficult to remove using standard physicochemical and biological processes. Previously, electrochemical and hybrid advanced oxidation processes (AOP) were considered a viable and promising alternative for achieving an adequate effluent treatment strategy in such instances. These processes rely on the production of hydroxyl radicals, which are highly reactive oxidants that efficiently break down contaminants found in wastewater and industrial effluent. This review focuses on the removal of contaminants from industrial effluents and wastewater through the integration of electrochemical and advanced oxidation techniques. These processes include electrooxidation, electrocoagulation/electroflocculation, electroflotation, photo-Fenton, ozone-photo-Fenton, sono-photo-Fenton, photo-electro-Fenton, ozone/electrocoagulation, sono-electrocoagulation, and peroxi/photo/electrocoagulation. The data acquired from over 150 published articles, most of which were laboratory experiments, demonstrated that the hybrid process is more effective in removing contaminants from industrial effluent and wastewater than standalone processes.

Efficient removal of antibiotics from water resources is a public health priority: a critical assessment of the efficacy of some remediation strategies for antibiotics in water

This review discusses the fundamental principles and mechanism of antibiotic removal from water of some commonly applied treatment techniques including chlorination, ozonation, UV-irradiation, Fenton processes, photocatalysis, electrochemical-oxidation, plasma, biochar, anaerobicdigestion, activated carbon and nanomaterials. Some experimental shortfalls identified by researchers such as certain characteristics of degradation agent applied and the strategies explored to override the identified limitations are briefly discussed. Depending on interactions of a range of factors including the type of antibiotic compound, operational parameters applied such as pH, temperature and treatment time, among other factors, all reviewed techniques can eliminate or reduce the levels of antibiotic compounds in water to varying extents. Some of the reviewed techniques such as anaerobic digestion generally require longer treatment times (up to 360, 193 and 170 days, according to some studies), while others such as photocatalysis achieved degradation within short contact time (within a minimum of 30, but up to 60, 240, 300 and 1880 minutes, in some cases). For some treatment techniques such as ozonation and Fenton, it is apparent that subjecting compounds to longer treatment times may improve elimination efficiency, whereas for some other techniques such as nanotechnology, application of longer treatment time generally meant comparatively minimal elimination efficiency. Based on the findings of experimental studies summarized, it is apparent that operational parameters such as pH and treatment time, while critical, do not exert sole or primary influence on the elimination percentage(s) achieved. Elimination efficiency achieved rather seems to be due more to the force of a combination of several factors.

Electrochemical sensing system for the analysis of emerging contaminants in aquatic environment: A review

This survey distinguishes understudied spaces of arising impurity research in wastewaters and the habitat, and suggests bearing for future checking. Thinking about the impeding effect of toxins on human wellbeing and biological system, their discovery in various media including water is fundamental. This review sums up and assesses the latest advances in the electrochemical detecting of emerging contaminants (ECs). This survey is expected to add to the advancement in electrochemical applications towards the ECs. Different electrochemical insightful procedures like Amperometry, Voltammetry has been examined in this overview. The improvement of cutting edge nanomaterial-based electrochemical sensors and biosensors for the discovery of drug compounds has accumulated monstrous consideration because of their benefits, like high affectability and selectivity, continuous observing, and convenience has been reviewed in this survey. This survey likewise features the diverse electrochemical treatment procedures accessible for the removal of ECs.

A critical review on the sonochemical degradation of organic pollutants in urine, seawater, and mineral water

Substances such as pharmaceuticals, pesticides, dyes, synthetic and natural hormones, plasticizers, and industrial chemicals enter the environment daily. Many of them are a matter of growing concern worldwide. The use of ultrasound to eliminate these compounds arises as an interesting alternative for treating mineral water, seawater, and urine. Thereby, this work presents a systematic and critical review of the literature on the elimination of organic contaminants in these particular matrices, using ultrasound-based processes. The degradation efficiency of the sonochemical systems, the influence of the nature of the pollutant (volatile, hydrophobic, or hydrophilic character), matrix effects (enhancement or detrimental ability compared to pure water), and the role of the contaminant concentration were considered. The combinations of ultrasound with other degradation processes, to overcome the intrinsic limitations of the sonochemical process, were considered. Also, energy consumptions and energy costs associated with pollutants degradation in the target matrices were estimated. Moreover, the gaps that should be developed in future works, on the sonodegradation of organic contaminants in mineral water, seawater, and urine, were discussed.

Assessment of the efficiency of synergistic photocatalysis on penicillin G biodegradation by whole cell Paracoccus sp

Background

The Paracoccus sp. strain isolated from sludge was identified and evaluated for catalytic activity in the degradation of penicillin G.

Results

High degradation efficiency and synergistic catalytic effects of the whole cell and visible light without additional catalysts were observed. The key factors influencing the degradation and kinetics of penicillin G were investigated. The results showed the phenylacetic acid, which was produced during penicillin G biodegradation, exhibited stronger inhibiting effects on KDSPL-02. However, this effect was reduced by visible light irradiation without any additional photocatalyst; furthermore, the rate of penicillin G biodegradation was accelerated, reaching a 100% rate in 12 h at a penicillin G concentration of 1.2 g/L. Four key intermediates produced during penicillin G degradation were isolated and identified by LC–MS, ¹H NMR, and ¹³C NMR. Enzymes involved in the PAA pathway were proposed from a genomic analysis of KDSPL-02.

Conclusions

These results provide a new method for bio-degrading of penicillin or other antibiotic pollutants using photoaccelerating biocatalysts with greater efficiency and more environmentally friendly conditions.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13036-021-00275-4.

Sonochemical degradation of neonicotinoid pesticides in natural surface waters. Influence of operational and environmental conditions

Neonicotinoids sonochemical oxidation at high-frequency ultrasound (MHz range) has been carried out in ultrapure and natural surface-water matrices (river, reservoir and wastewater treatment plant effluent). To evaluate the influence of the operating variables, that is initial pollutant concentration, ultrasound frequency, ultrasound power, and pulse-stop time a Box-Behnken experimental design was planned. Optimal results were obtained using a frequency of 578 kHz, a power of 40 W L^-1, with a pollutant concentration of 1 μM (for each pesticide), and using a pulse-stop time of 100 ms. The experimental data adjustment using the Langmuir-Hinshelwood heterogeneous kinetic model showed that neonicotinoids oxidation was carried out in the bubble-liquid interface by the attack of hydroxyl radicals. Experiments performed in the presence of radical scavengers, that is, methanol, ethanol and tert-butyl alcohol corroborated this reaction mechanism. The influence of some environmental conditions such as pH, presence of soluble inorganic species (Cl^-, SO₄^2-, NO₃^-, HPO₄^2-, HCO₃^-) and soluble organic species (humic acids content) were established. Finally, the aqueous matrix's influence was investigated for three natural surface water cases, and the results were rationalized according to the main water physicochemical characteristics.

Sonochemical processes for the degradation of antibiotics in aqueous solutions: A review

Antibiotic residues in water are general health and environmental risks due to the antibiotic-resistance phenomenon. Sonication has been included among the advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) used to remove recalcitrant contaminants in aquatic environments. Sonochemical processes have shown substantial advantages, including cleanliness, safety, energy savings and either negligible or no secondary pollution. This review provides a wide overview of the different protocols and degradation mechanisms for antibiotics that either use sonication alone or in hybrid processes, such as sonication with catalysts, Fenton and Fenton-like processes, photolysis, ozonation, etc.

Developments in the intensification of photo-Fenton and ozonation-based processes for the removal of contaminants of emerging concern in Ibero-American countries

Contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), such as pharmaceuticals, personal care products, pesticides, synthetic and natural hormones and industrial chemicals, are frequently released into the environment because of the inability of conventional processes in municipal wastewater treatment plants to remove them. Some examples of alternative options to remove such pollutants are photo-Fenton and ozone-based processes, which are two techniques widely studied in Ibero-American countries. In fact, this region has been responsible for delivering frequently publications and conferences on advanced oxidation processes. This work is a critical review of recent developments in the intensification of the two aforementioned advanced oxidation techniques for CECs elimination in the Ibero-American region. Specifically for the photo-Fenton process (pF), this study analyses strategies such as iron-complexation with artificial substances (e.g., oxalic acid and ethylenediamine-N,N'-disuccinic acid) and natural compounds (such as humic-like substances, orange juice or polyphenols) and hybrid processes with ultrasound. Meanwhile, for ozonation, the enhancement of CECs degradation by adding hydrogen peroxide (i.e., peroxone), ultraviolet or solar light, and combining (i.e., photolytic ozonation) with catalysts (i.e., catalytic ozonation) was reviewed. Special attention was paid to how efficient these techniques are for removing contaminants from water matrices, and any potentialities and weak points of the intensified processes.

Degradation of Losartan in Fresh Urine by Sonochemical and Photochemical Advanced Oxidation Processes

In this work, the degradation of the pharmaceutical losartan, in simulated fresh urine (which was considered because urine is the main excretion route for this compound) by sonochemistry and UVC/H2O2 individually, was studied. Initially, special attention was paid to the degrading action of the processes. Then, theoretical analyses on Fukui function indices, to determine electron-rich regions on the pharmaceutical susceptible to attacks by the hydroxyl radical, were performed. Afterward, the ability of the processes to mineralize losartan and remove the phyto-toxicity was tested. It was found that in the sonochemical treatment, hydroxyl radicals played the main degrading role. In turn, in UVC/H2O2, both the light and hydroxyl radical eliminated the target contaminant. The sonochemical system showed the lowest interference for the elimination of losartan in the fresh urine. It was established that atoms in the imidazole of the contaminant were the moieties most prone to primary transformations by radicals. This was coincident with the initial degradation products coming from the processes action. Although both processes exhibited low mineralizing ability toward losartan, the sonochemical treatment converted losartan into nonphytotoxic products. This research presents relevant results on the elimination of a representative pharmaceutical in fresh urine by two advanced oxidation processes.

Highly efficient chloramphenicol degradation by UV and UV/H2 O2 processes based on LED light source

In this study, UV-LED was employed as a novel light source to investigate the degradation of a representative antibiotic compound, chloramphenicol (CAP), in the absence or presence of H₂ O₂ . The UV-LED irradiation showed a higher capability for degradation of CAP than conventional UV-Hg vapor lamps. Effects of the initial CAP concentration, UV wavelength, and light intensity on the degradation of CAP by UV-LED were evaluated. Introduction of H₂ O₂ evidently enhanced the degradation efficiency of CAP due to the production of reactive hydroxyl radicals. Results showed that the UV-LED/H₂ O₂ removed CAP by up to 95% within 60 min at pH 5.0, which was twice as that achieved by the UV-LED alone. The degradation products were identified to propose plausible degradation pathways. Moreover, the formation potentials of typical carbonaceous disinfection by-products (C-DBPs) and nitrogenous disinfection by-products (N-DBPs) were assessed for the CAP polluted water treated by the UV-LED alone and UV-LED/H₂ O₂ processes. Results indicate unintended formation of certain DBPs, thereby highlighting the importance of health risk assessments before practical application. This study opens a new avenue for developing environment-friendly and high-performance UV-LED photocatalytic reactors for abatement of CAP pollution in water. PRACTITIONER POINTS: UV-LED bore higher capability to degrade CAP than low-pressure Hg lamp. The optimal performance to degrade CAP can be achieved at the UV wavelength of 280 nm. The degradation efficiency under UV-LED/H₂ O₂ process was double of that under UV-LED process. TCM, DCAN, and TCNM formation were higher under the existence of UV-LED radiation. The addition of H₂ O₂ had greater influence on the formation of DCAcAm than the introduction of UV-LED.