AN OVERVIEW ON THE APPLICATION OF PHOTOCATALYSIS FOR WATER PURIFICATION FROM PHARMACEUTICAL DRUGS
NINA KANEVA*, ASSYA BOJINOVA, KAROLINA PAPAZOVA
Laboratory of Nanoparticle Science and Technology, Department of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Sofia, 1 James Bourchier Blvd., Sofia 1164
* Corresponding author: nina_k@abv.bg
Keywords: ZnO nanomaterials, pharmaceutical drugs, heterogeneous photocatalysis
Abstract: The elimination of organic substances from surface and subsurface water/wastewater is a subject of environmental significance. Conventional water decontamination approaches have relatively higher operating costs and cause the formation of by-products, which may be more toxic than parental contaminants. On the other hand, heterogeneous photocatalysis is one popular and eco-friendly method. The treatment of wastewaters by photocatalysis using metal oxide semiconductors is a topical issue. In recent years, zinc oxide has attracted attention in the scientific community as a "material of the future." The advantages of nanostructured ZnO as a photocatalyst have prompted the creation of a number of methods for its synthesis. Furthermore, the non-toxic nature of ZnO nanomaterials means they are convenient for water treatment, resulting in safe drinking water for humans and a safe environment for animals. Therefore, this semiconductor has a very large application in environment cleaning, particularly for photocatalytic degradation of pharmaceuticals. Pharmaceuticals are emerging pollutants that are increasingly found in water systems – marine, estuaries, rivers, lakes, and underground water around the world, with concentrations ranging from ng/L to μg/L, and even reaching mg/L. In this review, the degradation of various pharmaceutical drugs in drinking water/wastewater is discussed. Various methods of zinc oxide synthesis for improving the photocatalysts efficiency are presented. The effects of the different experimental parameters on the photocatalytic processes are compared and commented.