Sonochemical processes for the degradation of antibiotics in aqueous solutions: A review.

Note: US, Ultrasound; PS, peroxydisulfate; PS, peroxymonosulfate. The sonication-involved processes in water matrices. [Display omitted] • The generation of •OH radicals by ultrasound is insufficient to cause significant antibiotics cleavage. • Sonication improves mass transfer and oxidation with Fenton reagents, S 2 O 8 2−, HSO 5 − and O 3. • Sonophotocatalysis remarkably enhances antibiotics mineralization and detoxification. Antibiotic residues in water are general health and environmental risks due to the antibiotic-resistance phenomenon. Sonication has been included among the advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) used to remove recalcitrant contaminants in aquatic environments. Sonochemical processes have shown substantial advantages, including cleanliness, safety, energy savings and either negligible or no secondary pollution. This review provides a wide overview of the different protocols and degradation mechanisms for antibiotics that either use sonication alone or in hybrid processes, such as sonication with catalysts, Fenton and Fenton-like processes, photolysis, ozonation, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]