Removal of Antimicrobial and Analgesic Drugs from Water via Electro- and Photo-oxidation

A comparative assessment of the efficiency of nitrofural, tetracycline, and paracetamol degradation in model pharmaceutical effluent solutions was conducted using anodic oxidation and UV exposure. The electro- and photo-oxidation of the antimicrobial drugs nitrofural and tetracycline achieved removal rates of up to 99% and 90%, respectively, while paracetamol removal reached 80 and 50%. Degradation rate constants were calculated. Anodic oxidation was found to be 1.5–2 times more effective than photooxidation in degrading active pharmaceutical substances. The role of active particles formed in the anodic zone and during UV treatment in the oxidative degradation of pharmaceutical-origin organic eco-pollutants was theoretically substantiated.