irradiation is 98% for ampicillin, 96% for tetracycline, and 90% for erythromycin,
regardless of their concentration.
Keywords Refractory organic contaminants · Photocatalytic oxidation ·
Chlorophenols · Antibiotics · Wastewater
13.1 Introduction
A wide range of organic contaminants can reach different water bodies mainly due to
leakage from contaminated or intensively fertilized soils and industrial wastewater
discharges as well as from leakage of hazardous compounds from various deposits
(Simion et al. 2015; Orbeci et al. 2014). Many of these organic contaminants are
known to have a strong negative impact, even at very low concentrations, both on the
aquatic life of the affected system and on other entities such as humans and animals
coming in different ways in contact with it. Thus, the organic contaminants can
potentially be carcinogens, mutagens, or endocrine disruptors for the organisms with
that they come into contact (Yadav et al. 2019; Omar et al. 2018).
The effluents from the industry of dyes, surfactants, preservatives, medicines, and
pesticides contain many chemical residues and solvents that are used or produced
during the manufacturing process such as phenols and their derivatives, antibiotics,
and azo dye compounds. The effective treatment of these industrial effluents
involves an in-depth knowledge of the actual manufacturing process, as well as of
the effluent composition and its variation in time, from both qualitatively and
quantitatively standpoint (Houria et al. 2014).
At present, there is a wide range of wastewater treatment technologies based on
different physical, chemical, and biological processes. The choice of the optimal
treatment method is made according to the composition of the wastewater to be
treated, but in many situations, it is considered to obtain a high technical–economic
efficiency. Therefore, cheaper and less time-consuming technologies are preferred.
If the wastewater contains refractory organic compounds, the conventional biological treatment processes cannot successfully be applied due to the reduced
biodegradability manifested by these organic contaminants. Usually, in this situation, technologies based on advanced oxidation processes are preferred. Due to the
high oxidation potential of these processes, all organic matter is mineralized and thus
eliminated from the treated water. Therefore, choosing the optimal advanced oxidation process that offers high technical–economic efficiency represents a challenge
for many specialists working in the field of wastewater treatment.
412
C. Orbeci et al.
regardless of their concentration.
Keywords Refractory organic contaminants · Photocatalytic oxidation ·
Chlorophenols · Antibiotics · Wastewater
13.1 Introduction
A wide range of organic contaminants can reach different water bodies mainly due to
leakage from contaminated or intensively fertilized soils and industrial wastewater
discharges as well as from leakage of hazardous compounds from various deposits
(Simion et al. 2015; Orbeci et al. 2014). Many of these organic contaminants are
known to have a strong negative impact, even at very low concentrations, both on the
aquatic life of the affected system and on other entities such as humans and animals
coming in different ways in contact with it. Thus, the organic contaminants can
potentially be carcinogens, mutagens, or endocrine disruptors for the organisms with
that they come into contact (Yadav et al. 2019; Omar et al. 2018).
The effluents from the industry of dyes, surfactants, preservatives, medicines, and
pesticides contain many chemical residues and solvents that are used or produced
during the manufacturing process such as phenols and their derivatives, antibiotics,
and azo dye compounds. The effective treatment of these industrial effluents
involves an in-depth knowledge of the actual manufacturing process, as well as of
the effluent composition and its variation in time, from both qualitatively and
quantitatively standpoint (Houria et al. 2014).
At present, there is a wide range of wastewater treatment technologies based on
different physical, chemical, and biological processes. The choice of the optimal
treatment method is made according to the composition of the wastewater to be
treated, but in many situations, it is considered to obtain a high technical–economic
efficiency. Therefore, cheaper and less time-consuming technologies are preferred.
If the wastewater contains refractory organic compounds, the conventional biological treatment processes cannot successfully be applied due to the reduced
biodegradability manifested by these organic contaminants. Usually, in this situation, technologies based on advanced oxidation processes are preferred. Due to the
high oxidation potential of these processes, all organic matter is mineralized and thus
eliminated from the treated water. Therefore, choosing the optimal advanced oxidation process that offers high technical–economic efficiency represents a challenge
for many specialists working in the field of wastewater treatment.
412
C. Orbeci et al.