Innovative and eco-friendly technologies for the upgradation of pharmaceutical wastewater treatment processes

Wastewater effluents containing pharmaceuticals has a significant impact on our environment due to their carcinogenic effects. Pharmaceuticals in wastewater contain complex chemical compositions that are poisonous to humans and pose a threat to aquatic organisms. Many traditional approaches have failed to treat pharmaceuticals-contaminated water because they are ineffective or cost-prohibitive. Due to its low cost, uniform design, and ease of use, adsorption is gaining popularity in pollutant control. In physiochemical treatment schemes for environmentally friendly remediation of such toxicants, agricultural-based products, polymers, and other eco-friendly materials are used as adsorbents and cosubstrates. The effectiveness of agro-biomass/byproducts from plants, as well as their function as cosubstrates to promote the biodegradation of pharmaceuticals, is the subject of this chapter. The chapter will also explain how operating conditions, kinetics, and isotherm models can be used to better explain adsorbent activity and adsorption mechanisms. © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.