A Comprehensive Review of Recent Progress on the Removal of Pharmaceutical Compounds

Adsorption is one of the most tried-and-true methods when it could be used to remove several pollutants from wastewater. Adsorption can remove a wide variety of pollutants. In its most basic form, the adsorption process does nothing more than collect the pollutants that are present in the wastewater on the surface of the adsorbent. The capacity of the adsorbent is dependent on factors such as its porosity, surface area, pore diameter, and the type of adsorbent. Photodegradation of pharmaceutical compounds using graphene oxide has been extensively studied, and the results have shown promising outcomes under various operating conditions. Graphene oxide is consisted of carbon atoms arranged in honeycomb lattice, showed larger surface area and excellent electron transport capabilities. Graphene-based composites received great attention due to providing good visible light activity, could capture a significant portion of solar radiation. In conclusion, several pharmaceutical compounds such as ibuprofen, carbamazepine, diphenhydramine, sulfamethoxazole, tetracycline, sulfamethazine, and chloramphenicol have been successfully removed using various techniques based on the experimental findings.