Oxidative Treatment of Ibuprofen as an Emerging Water Pollutant

References

[18] Figure 7: TOC removal in the presence of oxidant with respect to time. c(IB) = 0.064 mM, c(H2O2) = 0.94 mM, solvent: DI water In another experiment, Fe(II) was also added to the reaction mixture. The obtained TOC values were plotted against the time passed between mixing the reactants (initiation) and the actual time of the measurement of the given sample. Results are shown in Figure 9. It seems that most of the reaction is over about 250 minutes. In the final two readings, the change in TOC can be considered negligible as the TOC value in the solution tended to be the same. The oxidation of Ibuprofen using hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) in the presence of a Fe²⁺ catalyst (Fenton’s reagent) resulted in effective degradation of organic carbon, indicating successful oxidation. However, a slight increase in TOC observed in the final sample suggests the possible delayed release of adsorbed carbon species. This may be attributed to secondary reactions occurring after the initial oxidation, sample instability, or partial re-solubilization of organic residues. Overall, the use of Fe²⁺ as a catalyst significantly enhanced the oxidation efficiency compared to H₂O₂ alone. However, it is worth noting that even after 5 hours, the TOC does not reach zero i.e. complete mineralization is not achieved despite the 15-fold excess of the oxidant. Figure 8: TOC removal in the presence of oxidant and catalyst with respect to time. c(IB) = 0.064 mM, c(H2O2) = 0.94 mM, c(Fe(II)) = 0.085 mM, solvent: DI water CONCLUSION The experimental investigation demonstrated the efficiency of Fenton’s reagent—hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) in the presence of Fe(II)—in the oxidation and partial mineralization of ibuprofen (IB) in aqueous solutions. Control experiments without the oxidant or catalyst showed negligible TOC reduction, confirming that both components are essential for initiating and sustaining the degradation process. The introduction of Fe(II) significantly enhanced the oxidation reaction, with most of the TOC reduction occurring within the first 250 minutes. However, complete mineralization of ibuprofen was not achieved, as evidenced by the residual TOC values, even with a substantial excess of the oxidant. The slight increase in TOC observed in the final measurements suggests possible secondary reactions or desorption of intermediate byproducts. These results affirm the potential of the Fenton process as an effective method for the degradation of pharmaceutical contaminants like ibuprofen, while also highlighting the need for further optimization to achieve complete mineralization. ACKNOWLEDGMENT I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my supervisor, Dr. Gábor Bellér, for the expert guidance, encouragement, and continuous support provided throughout this research. I also extend my appreciation to the faculty and staff of the Department of Environmental Engineering at the University of Debrecen for their academic input and assistance, which greatly contributed to my professional development. Lastly, I wish to express my heartfelt thanks to my family, especially my mother, for their unwavering support and encouragement throughout this journey. REFERENCES

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@article{1709706,
      author = {Ari Gideon},
      title = {Oxidative Treatment of Ibuprofen as an Emerging Water Pollutant},
      journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
      year = {2025},
      volume = {9},
      number = {1},
      pages = {782-795},
      issn = {2456-8880},
      url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1709706.pdf},
      abstract = {This study investigates the oxidative treatment of Ibuprofen (IP), a widely used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug and recognized emerging contaminant, through the application of the Fenton process. Ibuprofen frequently enters aquatic environments due to improper disposal, incomplete metabolism, and inefficiencies in conventional wastewater treatment systems, posing risks to both ecosystems and human health. Given its persistence and bioactivity, advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), particularly the Fenton reaction utilizing hydrogen peroxide (H?O?) as an oxidant and ferrous ions (Fe??) as a catalyst, were explored for effective degradation. The research focused on evaluating the influence of three key parameters?pH, oxidant concentration, and catalyst concentration?on the removal of Total Organic Carbon (TOC) as a proxy for organic pollutant degradation. Preliminary experiments confirmed that neither H?O? nor Fe?? alone could significantly reduce TOC; only their combination produced notable removal, validating the necessity of the full Fenton reagent. Comprehensive parametric studies revealed that the optimal conditions for TOC removal occurred at pH ~3, with an oxidant-to-catalyst (ox/cat) ratio of approximately 15, specifically at [Fe??] = 0.078 mM and [H?O?] = 1.18 mM. Under these conditions, 80.4% of the TOC was removed within 24 hours. These results align well with previous studies on the Fenton treatment of other contaminants, though variation is expected due to differences in pollutant structure and reactivity.},
      keywords = {Ibuprofen, Fenton process, advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), Total Organic Carbon (TOC)},
      month = {July},
  }