Occurrence, analysis and removal processes of emerging pharmaceuticals from waters for the protection and preservation of a sustainable environment: a review

Pharmaceuticals are a group of man-made commercial and synthetic products and an important mainstay of modern society. However, their presence in aquatic environments is identified as a potential risk, causing harm to living things even at low concentrations ranging from ng L-1 to μg L-1. Due to their pseudo-persistence, bio-accumulation, and low elimination rate by conventional treatments, the majority of these xenobiotic contaminants and their metabolites are routinely released into the environment by sewage treatment plants and last longer in an aquatic environment. This review aims to provide an extensive report and a current state of knowledge concerning various classes of pharmaceutical compounds (PCs). It also discusses the occurrence, the analytical methods for the determination of PC micro-pollutants, and the remediation methods noted in recent literature focusing on the most recent advances. In this context, this review highlights the statistical data regarding the status of PCs in detection, analysis, and removal methods in aqueous media. In addition, this review provides an overview of the conventional and advanced technologies for the removal of PCs from water sources, offering critical comments, and discussing the challenges related to improving existing technologies for sustainable and eco-friendly management of water resources. It likewise emphasizes the importance of the combination of different treatment methods to reach up to 100% PC removal. Finally, gaps in the literature were found, and recommendations for further research were also cited in accordance with this paper. To the best of our knowledge, this review paper is among the rare works that deal with both: i) the analysis of large varieties of PCs in different water matrices, ii) the removal and identification of target analytes and their by-products generated during the elimination processes, and iii) the possible degradation pathways proposed by different studies.