Sustainable management method on the occurrence of azithromycin antibiotics Available to Purchase

The presence of antibiotic remains in the ecosystem is a consequence of diverse patterns of antibiotic use, such as treating bacterial infections and promoting animal growth. Azithromycin, a commonly utilised macrolide antibiotic, has been identified in diverse water sources, encompassing potable water, underground water, samples from incoming and outgoing streams of wastewater treatment facilities, and surface waters. However, azithromycin’s complex structure and non-biodegradable properties make it challenging to remove through traditional treatment techniques. As a result, there is a pressing demand for advanced treatment techniques that can effectively degrade azithromycin present in wastewater. Photocatalytic degradation has garnered significant interest as a viable choice among the available options, primarily due to its ecological, cost-effective, and environmentally sustainable characteristics. This review focuses on recent studies investigating different photocatalytic materials for azithromycin degradation, including semiconducting metal oxides, bismuth, silver, metal–organic frameworks, and graphite carbon nitrides. Based on the findings, titanium dioxide doped with lanthanum (La-TiO₂) and bismuth hybrid photocatalyst (Ag@Bi₄O5I₂/SPION/Calg) demonstrated promising results, degrading 95% and 98.4% of azithromycin, respectively, within 90 min. The addition of dopants proved beneficial in the photocatalytic oxidation process, reducing the energy bandgap of the photocatalysts and enhancing their performance.