OR 11 - From Detection to Degradation: Strategies for the Control of Emerging Pharmaceutical Contaminants in Wastewater
OR 11 - From Detection to Degradation: Strategies for the Control of Emerging Pharmaceutical Contaminants in Wastewater
Pharmaceutical residues are increasingly recognized as emerging contaminants with significant environmental and public health implications. A comprehensive regulatory framework defining concentration limits for pharmaceuticals in aquatic environments is still lacking, and conventional wastewater treatment plants are not specifically designed to achieve their effective removal. In this context, both the development of analytical methodologies for the accurate detection and quantification of these compounds and the implementation of degradation strategies to reduce their environmental impact are of critical importance. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs)—such as ozonation, photo-Fenton reactions, photocatalysis, and electrochemical oxidation—are recognized as effective technologies for generating highly reactive radical species (e.g., ·OH) that can mineralize recalcitrant organic compounds while simultaneously minimizing the formation of toxic by-products [1]. Recently, a reverse micelle strategy has been employed to synthesize small-sized CeO₂ nanocrystals incorporating substitutional Fe atoms, which demonstrated high efficiency in the adsorption and visible-light-driven photodegradation of ibuprofen [2].
In this study, a method based on liquid chromatography (LC) combined with mass spectrometry (MS) was optimized to monitor photocatalytic degradation and to detect and quantify widely used pharmaceuticals. This work makes two key contributions: a reliable tool for evaluating photocatalytic degradation kinetics and a sensitive approach for detecting pharmaceutical contaminants in wastewater, highlighting the need for advanced monitoring and remediation strategies. The results demonstrate the reliability of the proposed LC–MS protocol while highlighting the need for further refinement. Sensitivity and selectivity could be significantly improved through LC–MS/MS in Multiple Reaction Monitoring (MRM) mode, enabling the simultaneous detection of a broader range of emerging contaminants by multi-residual analysis [3].
Overall, this dual-purpose approach reinforces the role of advanced analytical methodologies as a great tool for assessing remediation efficiency, tracking the environmental fate of pharmaceuticals, and supporting improved monitoring and protection strategies for aquatic environments.
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