Degradation of Antibiotics by Ultrasound-Assisted Heterogeneous Activation of Persulfate and Peroxymonosulfate: A Review

Background: The presence of antibiotic residues in water is a matter of concern for both public health and the environment, owing to the phenomenon of antibiotic resistance. One of the Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs) employed for the removal of refractory pollutants in the aqueous matrix is sonication. The sonochemical processes have been found to have a multitude of advantages, including the mitigation or complete elimination of secondary pollutants, energy conservation, enhanced safety, and improved cleanliness. Methodology: Antibiotic degradation mechanisms are thoroughly reviewed in this article, with a particular focus on activating Persulfate (PS) and Peroxymonosulfate (PMS) using sonication from 2000 to 2023. The analysis of articles retrieved from Google Scholar, Web of Science, and Scopus was conducted using the suggested reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis methodology. A total of 195 published publications were found after the initial search. Following a comprehensive evaluation, a total of 58 publications were chosen for the investigation of the utilization of ultrasound-assisted heterogeneous activation in PS and PMS operations. Results: Our findings were indicative of a discernible increase in publications in recent years, especially between 2017 and 2023. In addition, the elements that contribute to the effective degradation of antibiotics, such as pH, initial antibiotics concentration, PMS and PS dosage, contact time, and Ultrasonic frequency intensity, were analyzed and reviewed in this review study. Conclusion: This method has successfully removed antibiotics from aqueous solutions and hospital wastewater.