At-Source Hospital Wastewater Treatment to Eliminate Harmful Pharmaceuticals: A Novel Immobilised Approach Using UV-LED Activated Photocatalytic Nanomaterials

Immobilised photocatalysis, using economical UV-A LEDs and light-Activated metallic nanomaterials may provide a sustainable, reusable at-source hospital wastewater treatment solution for the oxidation and elimination of toxic hospitalderived drugs. At bench-scale, high-Temperature calcination of photocatalysts onto spherical supports, such as glass beads, is mostly used to incorporate photocatalysts onto solid (porous) structures. However, the use of spherical support materials in fast-flowing hospital wastewater can cause unwanted hydrodynamic effects. In this study, planar borosilicate support materials were covalently functionalised with an effective photocatalytic nanomaterial thin-film and tested in a novel UV-light fixed-bed reactor. This project aims to demonstrate proof-of-principle of immobilised photocatalysis to oxidise and eliminate various ecotoxic and persistent drugs in fast-flowing hospital wastewater.