en تخصصي Special Narrative Review <p data-path-to-node="3"></p> <div style="text-align: justify;">The increasing contamination of water bodies by fluoroquinolone antibiotics poses severe environmental risks, particularly regarding antibiotic resistance. This critical review evaluates the efficiency of advanced photocatalytic systems for the removal of Ciprofloxacin (CIP) from aqueous matrices, focusing on the transition from laboratory-scale studies to real-world environmental management.<p></p>A systematic literature search was conducted across Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, and Google Scholar databases for peer-reviewed articles published between January 2020 and December 2025. The search was applied to &quot;Title, Abstract, and Keywords&quot; fields. After rigorous screening of 847 initially identified records based on predefined inclusion/exclusion criteria, 94 relevant articles were selected for critical analysis.<p></p>The analysis reveals that while traditional metal oxides are limited, novel heterojunctions achieve up to 100% CIP removal under visible light. However, a significant discrepancy exists between parent compound removal (often >90%) and complete mineralization (typically only 40&ndash;60%), leading to the accumulation of toxic intermediates.<p></p>Consequently, relying solely on removal efficiency is insufficient for sustainable environmental management. Future research must prioritize toxicity monitoring and the validation of catalysts in real wastewater matrices to bridge the gap between laboratory success and industrial application.</div> Photocatalysis, Ciprofloxacin, Advanced Oxidation Processes, Wastewater Treatment, Environmental Management, Toxicity Assessment, Emerging Contaminants 7 17 http://jrhms.thums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-187-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Hossein Farash Khayalo 10031947532846001805 10031947532846001805 No Research Center for Environmental Health Technology, School of Public Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Mojtaba Yeganeh 10031947532846001806 10031947532846001806 No Research Center for Environmental Health Technology, School of Public Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Ali Esrafili 10031947532846001807 10031947532846001807 Yes Research Center for Environmental Health Technology, School of Public Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran