Search

Antibiotics are the most commonly utilized medications worldwide, with extensive usage not only in human healthcare but also in veterinary medicine and agriculture. The widespread misuse and overuse of antibiotics have led to their presence in various environmental sources such as soil, surface water bodies, groundwater reservoirs, drinking water, and other ecological media. This, along with insufficient sewage treatment capacity, causes a surge in antibiotic pollution in the environment. Unrestricted use of antibiotics encourages the development of antimicrobial resistance, which can lead to a range of problems. Presently, the predominant methods employed to eliminate antibiotic contaminants from water comprise physical adsorption onto adsorbents, chemical flocculation and chemical oxidation. Regrettably, these methodologies yield substantial volumes of sludge laden with chemical agents and polymer electrolytes, there by complicating the management of these sludge accumulations. Antibiotic pollutant residuals can be broken down using a variety of photo catalysts synthesized from metal oxides, offering a multitude of efficient solutions to the challenges involved. This study presents a comprehensive exploration of several facets. It encompasses an examination of the removal processes applied to four frequently prescribed antibiotics and delves into the latest progressions involving diverse nanostructure-based photo catalysis with help of metal oxide nanoparticles. Simultaneously, it addressed the conceivable origins of antibiotic pollutants disseminated throughout the ecological continuum. Moreover, it delves into the adverse consequences and risks posed by antibiotics present in wastewater, both in terms of their impact on the environment and their potential implications for human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]