Monitoring the removal of a mixture of emerging pharmaceutical contaminants assisted by a fixed TiO2 support in a photocatalytic process

This study evaluated the efficacy of removing estradiol, sulfamethoxazole, and paracetamol from water using titanium dioxide (TiO2). A layer of TiO2 was fixed onto ceramic tiles and exposed to a solution of the pharmaceuticals under 254 nm ultraviolet light. The TiO2 exhibited a surface area of 2.78 m²/g with Methylene Blue, which favors the adsorption and subsequent degradation of the pharmaceuticals. After 60 minutes of exposure, the removal of estradiol was 69.43%, paracetamol 50.84%, and sulfamethoxazole 24.80%. Additionally, it was determined that the degradation kinetics of each drug varied, with some fitting first-order models (estradiol and paracetamol) and others fitting second-order models (sulfamethoxazole). The time in minutes required for the drug concentration to decrease to one-tenth of its original concentration was 107 for estradiol, 190 minutes for paracetamol, and 244 for sulfamethoxazole. Photocatalysis with TiO2 immobilized on ceramics can be used to treat water contaminated with mixtures of pharmaceuticals without observing a restrictive effect between the drugs.