Photocatalytic Degradation of Pharmaceutical Residues from Water and Sewage Effluent Using Different TiO₂ Nanomaterials

Pharmaceuticals are widely used and often discharged without metabolism into the aquatic systems. The photocatalytic degradation of pharmaceutical compounds propranolol, mebeverine, and carbamazepine was studied using different titanium dioxide nanostructures suspended in water under UV and UV-visible irradiation. Among three different photocatalysts, the degradation was most effective by using Degussa P25 TiO₂, followed by Hombikat UV100 and Aldrich TiO₂. The photocatalytic performance was dependent on photocatalyst dosage, with an optimum concentration of 150 mg L⁻¹. The natural aquatic colloids were shown to enhance the extent of photocatalysis, and the effect was correlated with their aromatic carbon content. In addition, the photocatalysis of pharmaceuticals was enhanced by the presence of nitrate, but inhibited by the presence of 2-propanol, indicating the importance of hydroxyl radicals. Under optimum conditions, the pharmaceuticals were rapidly degraded, with a half-life of 1.9 min, 2.1 min, and 3.2 min for propranolol, mebeverine, and carbamazepine, respectively. In treating sewage effluent samples, the photocatalytic rate constants for propranolol (0.28 min⁻¹), mebeverine (0.21 min⁻¹), and carbamazepine (0.15 min⁻¹) were similar to those in water samples, demonstrating the potential of photocatalysis as a clean technology for the effective removal of pharmaceuticals from sewage effluent.