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Farash Khayalo H, Bahlgerdi M, Habibi A. Efficiency of photocatalytic processes in the removal of the antibiotic ciprofloxacin from aqueous environments: A systematic review. JRHMS 2024; 3 (4) :49-71
URL: http://jrhms.thums.ac.ir/article-1-130-en.html

The widespread presence of the antibiotic ciprofloxacin (CIP) in aquatic environments poses severe ecological and public health risks due to its recalcitrant nature. Advanced oxidation processes, specifically semiconductor-based photocatalysis, have emerged as highly promising strategies for highly efficient CIP removal and mitigation of antimicrobial resistance.

This systematic review evaluates the efficiency of photocatalytic systems in removing CIP from aqueous environments. Following a comprehensive literature search across Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and PubMed databases for studies published up to September 30, 69 peer-reviewed articles were selected and synthesized for indepth analysis of operational parameters and degradation mechanisms.

The temporal distribution of the included literature demonstrates a rapid increase in research interest, particularly peaking between 2021 and 2024. Key operational variables governing degradation include optimal catalyst dosages of 0.1–1.0 g/L and reaction times of 60–120 minutes. Recent advancements highlight a shift towards visible-light and solar-driven photocatalysis using advanced Z-scheme and S-scheme heterojunctions. These systems frequently achieve >90% CIP removal, generally following pseudo-first-order kinetics. Mechanistically, reactive oxygen species drive the cleavage of quinolone and piperazine rings, yielding lower-toxicity transformation products. However, discrepancies between rapid parent compound removal and actual total mineralization remain prevalent.

While photocatalytic degradation of CIP is highly effective at the laboratory scale, reliance on synthetic wastewater and powder catalysts in batch slurry reactors hinders industrial scale-up. Future research must prioritize immobilized catalyst systems, continuous-flow reactors, real wastewater matrices, and standardized energy efficiency (EEo) reporting to bridge the gap toward real-world applications.