A comprehensive review on sonocatalytic, photocatalytic, and sonophotocatalytic processes for the degradation of antibiotics in water: Synergistic mechanism and degradation pathway

The proliferation of multi-resistant bacteria caused by the spread of antibiotics in the environment has led to an increased interest in finding a better sustainable process for antibiotic removal from wastewater. Sonocatalysis, photocatalysis, and sonophotocatalysis have been adopted to the elimination of antibiotics for considerable efficiency. Many factors have prompted the development of the sonophotocatalytic process in recent years. One of these factors is the elimination of some disadvantages observed about individual processing techniques. Other factors are the possibility of common optimum conditions for sonocatalytic and photocatalytic processes, as well as the similarity in the mechanism of destruction leading to possible synergy. Herein, critical analyses of the literature concerning the application of sonocatalysis, photocatalysis, and sonophotocatalysis for the degradation of various antibiotics are carried out in the context of facilitating future developments in the field. The degradation mechanisms, main typical parameters, and the degradation pathway for each process are discussed based on recently published works. Finally, future recommendations are proposed, which is conducive to the development of sonophotocatalytic for the treatment of wastewater containing antibiotics.