Insights of the Removal of Antibiotics From Water and Wastewater: A Review on Physical, Chemical, and Biological Techniques

Pharmaceuticals, particularly antibiotics, are rightly regarded as one of the major emerging contaminants of the environment and there is increasing concern over their continuous presence in the aqueous solutions. Extensive research has shown that these compounds have been detected in fresh water of many countries. In this chapter, a brief introduction on pharmaceuticals and antibiotic pollution and also different common methods for antibiotic abatement in aqueous solutions has been studied. The performance of technologies such as membrane bioreactors, aerobic granular sludge, activated carbons, magnetic nanoparticles, Fenton processes, Peroxone, photocatalytic degradation, and electrocoagulation has also been discussed. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages in which at present no sole system might be the best one.