TiO2 based photocatalysis: a valuable approach for the removal of pharmaceuticals from aquatic environment

Increasing population and globalization leads increase in the demand of pharmaceuticals for the existence of a healthy society. But the overuse of pharmaceutical and their continuous discharge in aquatic environment is becoming an emerging societal and scientific concern. The recalcitrant nature of these pharmaceuticals and poor removal by conventional treatment methods results in persistence of these compounds in waste bodies. Their long-term persistency causes the toxicity on non-targeted organisms present in aquatic ecosystem. Advanced oxidation processes use highly reactive and oxidising species (O3, O2, H2O2, OH·) for the removal of different organic compounds from wastewater. Among them, photocatalysis is a promising and highly efficient technique used for complete mineralization of many pharmaceutical and other organic compounds from aquatic environment without involvement of carcinogenic compounds. Primarily, heterogenous semiconductors like TiO2 are preferred as photocatalyst in photocatalytic systems because of high thermal stability and no auto-degradation of the photocatalyst. The present review discussed on recent trends in TiO2 based photocatalysis and its application for the removal of pharmaceutical pollutants specifically antibiotics and cytostatic compounds from wastewater so that the reuse of wastewater becomes safe as reutilization option of water and fulfil the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 6).