Effect of alpha-hydroxy acids on transformation products formation and degradation mechanisms of carbamazepine by UV/H2O2 process

Insight into the generation of toxic by-products during UV/H2O2 degradation of carbamazepine: Mechanisms, N-transformation and toxicity

Carbamazepine (CBZ) is a widely used anticonvulsant drug that has been detected in aquatic environments. This study investigated the toxicity of its by-products (CBZ-BPs), which may surpass CBZ. Unlike the previous studies, this study offered a more systematic approach to identifying toxic BPs and inferring degradation pathways. Furthermore, quadrupole time-of-flight (QTOF) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations were employed to analyze CBZ-BP structures and degradation pathways. Evaluation of total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen (TN) mineralization rates, revealed carbon (C) greater susceptibility to mineralization compared with nitrogen (N). Furthermore, three rules were established for CBZ decarbonization and N removal during degradation, observing the transformation of aromatic compounds into aliphatic hydrocarbons and stable N-containing organic matter over time. Five potentially highly toxic BPs were screened from 14 identified BPs, with toxicity predictions guiding the selection of commercial standards for quantification and true toxicity testing. Additionally, BP207 emerged as the most toxic, supported by the predictive toxicity accumulation model (PTAM). Notably, highly toxic BPs feature an acridine structure, indicating its significant contribution to toxicity. These findings offered valuable insights into the degradation mechanisms of emerging contaminants and the biosafety of aquatic environments during deep oxidation.

Temperature-responsive comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry for the elucidation of the oxidative degradation processes of chemicals of environmental concern

This study explores the possibilities offered by temperature-responsive liquid chromatography (TRLC) based comprehensive 2-dimensional liquid chromatography in combination with reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) for the analysis of degradation products formed upon oxidative treatment of persistent organic pollutants, in this case exemplified through carbamazepine (CBZ). The TRLC×RPLC combination offers the possibility to overcome peak overlap and incomplete separation encountered in 1D approaches, while the transfer of the purely aqueous mobile phase leads to refocusing of all analytes on the second dimension column. Consequently, this allows for about method-development free and hence, easier LC×LC. The study focuses on the oxidative degradation of CBZ, a compound of environmental concern due to its persistence in water bodies. The TRLC×RPLC combination effectively separates and identifies CBZ and its degradation products, while offering improved selectivity over the individual TRLC or RPLC separations. This allows gathering more understanding of the degradation cascade and allows real-time monitoring of the appearance and disappearance of various degradation products. The compatibility with high-resolution mass spectrometry is last shown, enabling identification of 21 CBZ-related products, nine of which were not previously reported in CBZ degradation studies. The approach's simplicity, optimization-free aspects, and ease of use make it a promising tool for the analysis of degradation pathways in environmental contaminants.

Toxicity evolution and control for the UV/H2O2 degradation of nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds: SDZ and PMM

This study aimed to achieve toxicity control of sulfadiazine (SDZ) and pirimiphos-methyl (PMM) via the UV/H2O2 process by optimizing the reaction parameters. The results show that both drugs had a good degradation effect under the following parameters: a H2O2 molar ratio of 1:200, and neutral conditions. SDZ and PMM could be degraded by more than 99% within 3 min, respectively. In the Daphnia magna acute toxicity assay and Vibrio fischeri inhibition assay, both SDZ and PMM exhibited a phenomenon of increasing toxicity. Additionally, through the use of density functional theory (DFT) calculation and HPLC-QTOF-MS, 21 transformation products (TPs) were identified, and the principal degradation pathways were proposed. The toxicity of the TPs was determined by comparing the QSAR prediction results with toxicity test data. As a result, under the higher UV light intensity (2300 μW/cm2) and neutral conditions, SDZ showed highest toxicity, whereas PMM showed lowest toxicity under the lowest UV light intensity (450 μW/cm2) and neutral conditions. Four main toxic TPs were identified, and their yields could be reduced by adjusting the reaction parameters. Therefore, the selection of appropriate reaction parameters could reduce the production of toxic TPs and ensure the safety of water environment.

Environmental concerns and bioaccumulation of psychiatric drugs in water bodies - Conventional versus biocatalytic systems of mitigation

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought increments in market sales and prescription of medicines commonly used to treat mental health disorders, such as depression, anxiety, stress, and related problems. The increasing use of these drugs, named psychiatric drugs, has led to their persistence in aquatic systems (bioaccumulation), since they are recalcitrant to conventional physical and chemical treatments typically used in wastewater treatment plants. An emerging environmental concern caused by the bioaccumulation of psychiatric drugs has been attributed to the potential ecological and toxicological risk that these medicines might have over human health, animals, and plants. Thus, by the application of biocatalysis-assisted techniques, it is possible to efficiently remove psychiatric drugs from water. Biocatalysis, is a widely employed and highly efficient process implemented in the biotransformation of a wide range of contaminants, since it has important differences in terms of catalytic behavior, compared to common treatment techniques, including photodegradation, Fenton, and thermal treatments, among others. Moreover, it is noticed the importance to monitor transformation products of degradation and biodegradation, since according to the applied removal technique, different toxic transformation products have been reported to appear after the application of physical and chemical procedures. In addition, this work deals with the discussion of differences existing between high- and low-income countries, according to their environmental regulations regarding waste management policies, especially waste of the drug industry.

Impact of water matrices on oxidation effects and mechanisms of pharmaceuticals by ultraviolet-based advanced oxidation technologies: A review

The binding between water components (dissolved organic matters, anions and cations) and pharmaceuticals influences the migration and transformation of pollutants. Herein, the impact of water matrices on drug degradation, as well as the electrical energy demands during UV, UV/catalysts, UV/O₃, UV/H₂O₂-based, UV/persulfate and UV/chlorine processes were systemically evaluated. The enhancement effects of water constituents are due to the powerful reactive species formation, the recombination reduction of electrons and holes of catalyst and the catalyst regeneration; the inhibition results from the light attenuation, quenching effects of the excited states of target pollutants and reactive species, the stable complexations generation and the catalyst deactivation. The transformation pathways of the same pollutant in various AOPs have high similarities. At the same time, each oxidant also can act as a special nucleophile or electrophile, depending on the functional groups of the target compound. The electrical energy per order (EEO) of drugs degradation may follow the order of EEO_UV > EEO_UV/catalyst > EEO_UV/H2O2 > EEO_UV/PS > EEO_UV/chlorine or EEO_UV/O3. Meanwhile, it is crucial to balance the cost-benefit assessment and toxic by-products formation, and the comparison of the contaminant degradation pathways and productions in the presence of different water matrices is still lacking.

Ultraviolet-coupled advanced oxidation processes for anti-COVID-19 drugs treatment: Degradation mechanisms, transformation products and toxicity evolution

Remdesivir (RDV), dexamethasone (DEX) and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) were widely used in the treatment of COVID-19 pneumonia, possibly causing environmental risks and drug-resistance viruses. This study elucidated the degradation mechanisms and potential toxicity risks of the three anti-COVID-19 drugs by UV and ultraviolet-coupled advanced oxidation processes (UV/AOPs). All the drugs could be degraded by more than 98% within 3 min under the following optimal conditions: pH of 5.0 and drug-to-oxidant (H₂O₂) molar ratio of 1:200. Combined with density functional theory (DFT) analysis and high-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-QTOF-MS), twenty-four transformation products (TPs) were detected and the main degradation pathways were investigated. Based on bacterial luminescence inhibition test and the peak-area evolution of TPs, RDV and HCQ showed an obvious toxicity-increase region when TPs were generated in large quantities, while the toxicity of DEX continued to decline during degradation processes. By QSAR predictions, the main contributors to the toxicity evolution during the UV/AOPs were predicted. Halogen-containing TPs showed significantly higher toxicity than other TPs, and thus the chlorine-containing structure in HCQ presented the potential toxicity. Appropriate reaction parameters and adequate reaction time for the UV/AOPs could eliminate the toxicity of TPs and ensure environmental safety. This study could play a positive role in the treatment of anti-COVID-19 drugs and their environmental hazard assessment.

Elimination of recalcitrant micropollutants by medium pressure UV-catalyzed bioelectrochemical advanced oxidation process: Influencing factors, transformation pathway and toxicity assessment

Bio-electro-Fenton (BEF) processes have been widely studied in recent years to remove recalcitrant micropollutants from wastewater. Though promising, it still faces the critical challenge of residual iron and iron sludge in the treated effluent. Thus, an innovative medium-pressure ultraviolet-catalyzed bio-electrochemical system (MUBEC), in which medium-pressure ultraviolet was employed as an alternative to iron for in-situ H₂O₂ activation, was developed for the removal of recalcitrant micropollutants. The influence of operating parameters, including initial catholyte pH, cathodic aeration rate, and input voltage, on the system performance, was explored. Results indicated that complete reduction of 10 mg L^-1 of model micro-pollutants ibuprofen (IBU) and carbamazepine (CBZ) was achieved at pH 3, with an aeration rate of 1 mL min^-1 and a voltage of 0.3 V, following pseudo-first-order kinetics. Moreover, potential transformation pathways and the associated intermediates during the degradation were deduced and detected, respectively. Thus, the MUBEC system shows the potential for the efficient and cost-effective degradation of recalcitrant micropollutants from wastewater.

Peroxyl radicals from diketones enhanced the indirect photochemical transformation of carbamazepine: Kinetics, mechanisms, and products

In surface waters, photogenerated transients (e.g., hydroxyl radicals, carbonate radicals, singlet oxygen and the triplet states of dissolved organic matter) are known to play a role in the transformation of biorecalcitrant carbamazepine (CBZ). Small diketones, such as acetylacetone (AcAc) and butanedione (BD), are naturally abundant and have been proven to be effective precursors of carbon and oxygen centered radicals. However, the photochemical kinetics and mechanisms of coexisting diketones and CBZ are barely known. Herein, the effects of AcAc and BD on the photochemical conversion of CBZ were investigated compared with H₂O₂ which was the main ·OH precursor in the environment. An enhancing effect was observed for the degradation of CBZ by the addition of diketones. The enhancing effect of diketones was pH-dependent and much more significant than H₂O₂ under simulated solar irradiation. On the basis of the identification of transient species and the competition kinetic model, organic peroxyl radicals were found to play a dominant role in CBZ photodegradation, and the second-order rate constants of the reaction between CBZ and peroxyl radicals were determined to be approximately 10⁷-10⁸ M^-1s^-1. Furthermore, mutagenic acridine was found to be the major cumulative intermediate with a yield of > 30% in the presence of diketones, which might be an environmental concern. This work indicates that the coexistence of diketones and persistent organic pollutants might lead to some detrimental effects on aquatic environments if the water is exposed to sunlight.

Insights into the wavelength-dependent photolysis of chlorite: Elimination of carbamazepine and formation of chlorate

Simultaneous removal of chlorite (ClO₂^-) and organic micro-pollutants (OMPs) by the irradiation of UV is a novel process. In this study we used UV light emitting diode (UV-LED) as a new UV source to systematically investigate the effect of UV wavelength (255, 285, 365 nm) on the simultaneous removal of carbamazepine (CBZ) and ClO₂^-. Removal of both CBZ and ClO₂^- followed the order of 255, 285, and 365 nm. Formation of hydroxyl radical and reactive chlorine species (RCS) were confirmed during the photolysis of ClO₂^- using probe compounds. RCS were always the predominant contributor to the degradation of CBZ in UV-LED/ClO₂^- system. The impacts of ClO₂^- dosage, pH, bicarbonate/carbonate (HCO₃^-/CO₃^2-), and the effect of natural organic matter (NOM) on CBZ degradation were also evaluated. This study identified the products produced by CBZ through possible degradation pathways during the transformation process. Further, the amount of ClO₂^- may affect the amount of chlorate produced in UV/ClO₂^- system. Overall, our research provides an in-depth analysis of the effects of UV wavelength on the simultaneous removal of ClO₂^- and OMPs in water.

Emerging Contaminants: An Overview of Recent Trends for Their Treatment and Management Using Light-Driven Processes

The management of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in water bodies is particularly challenging due to the difficulty in detection and their recalcitrant degradation by conventional means. In this review, CECs are characterized to give insights into the potential degradation performance of similar compounds. A two-pronged approach was then proposed for the overall management of CECs. Light-driven oxidation processes, namely photo/Fenton, photocatalysis, photolysis, UV/Ozone were discussed. Advances to overcome current limitations in these light-driven processes were proposed, focusing on recent trends and innovations. Light-based detection methodology was also discussed for the management of CECs. Lastly, a cost–benefit analysis on various light-based processes was conducted to access the suitability for CECs degradation. It was found that the UV/Ozone process might not be suitable due to the complication with pH adjustments and limited light wavelength. It was found that EEO values were in this sequence: UV only > UV/combination > photocatalyst > UV/O3 > UV/Fenton > solar/Fenton. The solar/Fenton process has the least computed EEO < 5 kWh m−3 and great potential for further development. Newer innovations such as solar/catalyst can also be explored with potentially lower EEO values.

Effectiveness of Advanced Oxidation Processes in Wastewater Treatment: State of the Art

In recent years, many scientific studies have focused their efforts on quantifying the different types of pollutants that are not removed in wastewater treatment plants. Compounds of emerging concern (CECs) have been detected in different natural environments. The presence of these compounds in wastewater is not new, but they may have consequences in the future. These compounds reach the natural environment through various routes, such as wastewater. This review focuses on the study of tertiary treatment with advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) for the degradation of CECs. The main objective of the different existing AOPs applied to the treatment of wastewater is the degradation of pollutants that are not eliminated by means of traditional wastewater treatment.

Determination of Impurities in Perampanel Bulk Drugs by High- Performance Liquid Chromatography and Gas Chromatography

Background:

High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method has been used to detect related impurities of perampanel. However, the detection of impurities is incomplete, and the limits of quantification and detection are high. A sensitive, reliable method is in badly to be developed and applied for impurity detection of perampanel bulk drug.

Objective:

Methodologies utilising HPLC and gas chromatography (GC) were established and validated for quantitative determination of perampanel and its related impurities (a total of 10 impurities including 2 genotoxic impurities).

Methods:

The separation was achieved on a Dikma Diamonsil C18 column (250 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) with the mobile phase of 0.01 mol/L potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution (A) and acetonitrile (B) in gradient elution mode. The compound 2-bromopropane was determined on an Agilent DB-624 column (0.32 mm × 30 m, 1.8 μm) by electron capture detector (μ-ECD) with split injection ratio of 1:5 and proper gradient temperature program.

Result:

Both HPLC and GC methods were established and validated to be sensitive, accurate and robust according to the International Council for Harmonization (ICH) guidelines. The methods developed were linear in the selected concentration range (R2≥0.9944). The average recovery of all impurities was between 92.6% and 103.3%. The possible production mechanism of impurities during the synthesis and degradation processes of perampanel bulk drug was also discussed. Five impurities were analyzed by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Moreover, two of them were simultaneously characterized by LC-MS, IR and NMR.

Conclusion:

The HPLC and GC methods were developed and optimized, which could be applied for quantitative detection of the impurities, and further stability study of perampanel.

Review on UV/sulfite process for water and wastewater treatments in the presence or absence of O2

Based on previous reports, UV/sulfite process is generally used as an advanced reduction process (ARP) since e_aq^- and/or ∙H, both with strong reduction potential, could be substantially generated herein. Very recently, the combination of UV and sulfite as an advanced oxidation process (AOP) or an oxidation-reduction coupling process has attracted increasing interest due to the yield of SO₄^∙- and/or HO∙. Herein, the application of UV/sulfite as an ARP and AOP (or oxidation-reduction coupling process) during water and wastewater treatments is reviewed respectively. (1) In the absence of O₂, UV/sulfite works as an ARP. The generation mechanism of reactive reduction species and various contaminants removal (including degradation kinetics and efficiency, decomposition mechanisms, effects of some factors, etc.) is summarized in detail and systematically. Moreover, both the application of different types of UV lights and the economic evaluation are summarized systematically. (2) In the presence of O₂, UV/sulfite could be used as an AOP or oxidation-reduction coupling process. The generation mechanism of reactive oxidation species and influencing factors is also presented in detail. Moreover, two ways (including homogeneous and heterogeneous activation) used to enhance the UV/sulfite oxidation potential are summarized respectively. Moreover, several knowledge gaps and research needs for further research are proposed. Overall, this review provides an overview for in-depth understanding of UV/sulfite as an ARP or AOP (oxidation-reduction coupling process) during water and wastewater treatments.

Cobalt doped iron oxychloride as efficient heterogeneous Fenton catalyst for degradation of paracetamol and phenacetin

Cobalt doped iron oxychloride (Co-FeOCl) was synthesized and employed as catalyst in Fenton degradation of paracetamol (APAP) and phenacetin (PNCT) for the first time. The catalytic performance was evaluated by means of various parameters including catalyst load, hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) dose and pH value. The high removal of APAP (87.5%) and PNCT (76.0%) was obtained under conditions of 0.2 g/L Co-FeOCl and 0.5 mM H₂O₂ at pH 7.0, with calculated pseudo-first order kinetic constants of 0.031 min^-1 for APAP and 0.023 min^-1 for PNCT. Particularly, quenching tests and in situ electron spin resonance (ESR) tests were employed for the identification of the reactive oxygen species (ROS) in system. Hydroxyl radical (·OH) and superoxide radical (O₂^-·) were the primary ROS in Co-FeOCl/H₂O₂ system. A possible mechanism for H₂O₂ activation by Co-FeOCl catalyst was proposed as well. Finally, the formation of typical disinfection by-products (DBPs) decreased slightly in Co-FeOCl/H₂O₂ pre-oxidation. However, stability and reusability of Co-FeOCl were deactivated in the consecutive three cycles.

Predictive models for the degradation of 4 pharmaceutically active compounds in municipal wastewater effluents by the UV/H2O2 process

Pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) have been frequently detected in aquatic environment and raised concerns because of their environmental persistence and potential ecological risk, especially carbamazepine (CBZ), erythromycin (ERY), atenolol (ATL) and clofibric acid (CA). The UV/H₂O₂ advanced oxidation process was considered as an effective process to remove pharmaceuticals in wastewater. Because of the diverse structure of pharmaceuticals and the various wastewater matrices, this study established two models to predict the degradation of 4 PhACs in wastewater by UV/H₂O₂. Besides, the degradation pathway and toxicity of 4 PhACs by UV/H₂O₂ were explored. The degradation of 4 PhACs by UV/H₂O₂ followed the pseudo first-order kinetics pattern. The degradation rate of pharmaceuticals decreased as CBZ > ATL > CA > ERY. A kinetic model combining the steady state concentrations of HO∙ successfully predicted the degradation process of pharmaceuticals in 14 secondary municipal wastewater effluents. Also, a water matrix prediction model by response surface methodology (RSM) was established to estimate the degradation of pharmaceuticals well. A detailed and systematic comparison of two models in the objectives of models, predicting target contaminants, types of wastewater and parameters of models was made. In addition, the tentative transformation pathways of 4 PhACs by UV/H₂O₂ were proposed. 4 PhACs after UV/H₂O₂ treatment enhanced the toxicity, and prolongation of treatment time can reduce the toxicity on the luminescence.

UV-Fenton degradation of diclofenac, sulpiride, sulfamethoxazole and sulfisomidine: Degradation mechanisms, transformation products, toxicity evolution and effect of real water matrix

Four common refractory pharmaceuticals, diclofenac (DF), sulpiride (SP), sulfamethoxazole (SMX) and sulfisomidine (SIM) were detected in the Disc Tubular Reverse Osmosis (DTRO) concentrates with higher concentrations ranging from 0.85 to 11.57 μg/L from the local landfill. The effect of complex matrix of DTRO concentrates on the UV-Fenton degradation kinetics of DF, SP, SMX and SIM and their transformation products (TPs) were studied. All the four pharmaceuticals could be degraded more efficiently in the ultrapure water than that in the DTRO-concentrate matrix, which also had a significant negative effect on the kinetic constants of the degradation. Twenty-two out of forty-nine TPs were newly identified by HPLC-QTOF-MS and their peak-area evolution was presented. The main degradation pathways for four pharmaceuticals were identified. When assessing cytotoxicity by using HepG2 cells, there appeared to be an obvious toxicity-increase region for each of SP, SMX and SIM. Eleven TPs were identified as the potential toxicity-increase causing TPs by combination of the QSAR prediction, HepG2 cytotoxicity assessment and peak-area evolution of TPs. Therefore, UV-Fenton process was a promising method for the refractory pharmaceutical degradation even in the complex water matrix and choosing appropriate reaction parameters for the UV-Fenton could eliminate the cytotoxicity of the TPs.

Photodecomposition of ibuprofen over g-C3N4/Bi2WO6/rGO heterostructured composites under visible/solar light

A microwave-assisted hydrothermal preparation of heterostructured graphitic carbon nitride/bismuth tungsten oxide/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites (denoted as GBR-T, T = microwave irradiation time) is performed. The prepared GBR-T photocatalysts are identified by employing X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) and nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms. The photocatalytic performance of these GBR-T is evaluated by the photocatalytic degradation of ibuprofen (IBP) under the visible light (λ > 420 nm) and solar light irradiation. Among all prepared photocatalysts, ca. 93% of IBP photodegradation can be achieved with a degradation rate constant (k) of 0.011 min^-1 under visible-light irradiation upon the optimal microwave-assisted reaction time of 60 min. The improvement is primarily attributable to the higher crystallization degree, specific surface area and increased charge transfer efficiency as verified by XRD, nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms and TRPL, respectively. The photocatalytic performance of this catalyst is further enhanced in the photodecomposition of IBP (ca. 98.6%) under sun light irradiation. The electron spin resonance (ESR) and liquid chromatography-mass/mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) studies show that the superoxide radicals and hydroxyl radicals are the dominant active species in the photocomposition of IBP and degradation intermediates are formed through three probable photodegradation pathways. This investigation provides a simple way to prepare triple 2D heterojuction photocatalysts which could be effectively used in the advanced oxidation process for removal of emerging contaminants in wastewater by using renewable energy.

Facile Synthesis and Reuse of Magnetic Black Carbon Magnetite (BC-Mag) for Fast Carbamazepine Removal from Water

Magnetic carbonaceous nanomaterials are needed in water treatment applications because they can offer both carbon surfaces for sorption of organic pollutants and ease of material magnetic retrieval for regeneration and reuse. In this study, we employed a facile one-step method to synthesize a black carbon-magnetite composite (BC-Mag) by high-temperature annealing of black carbon and hematite. The nanocomposite was easily dispersed and stable in water owing to the presence of negatively charged oxygen surface functional groups. Sorption kinetics with dissolved carbamazepine showed a rapid initial uptake with equilibrium achieved within only minutes. The sorption extent can be described with the Freundlich model, and surface area normalized sorption affinity was an order of magnitude greater than conventional granular activated carbon. The sorption extent of neutral carbamazepine remained constant between pH 2–10 while surface zeta potential decreased. BC-Mag can be reused for the sorption of carbamazepine up to six times without significant loss of the sorption extent.