Clean and safe water is one of the most precious resources in the world today, which is threatened by pollution from various organic substances such as antibiotics and pharmaceuticals from various industrial and non-industrial sources. Pollution of water sources by pharmaceutical compounds is a growing concern due to the still unknown environmental impact and potential toxic effects on aquatic organisms. Population growth and an aging society are leading to increased consumption of these substances. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are a group of pharmaceuticals used to treat fever, inflammation and pain. One of them is ibuprofen, a widely used drug worldwide that has been in use since the 1960s. It has been detected in rivers, lakes and wastewater between ng/L and μg/L levels. The aim of this work was to synthesize different bismuth-based catalysts (Bi2MoO6, Bi2WO6, BiVO4 and BiOBr) and to determine their photocatalytic activity by monitoring the degradation of ibuprofen under visible light with HPLC chromatographic analysis. All catalysts were successfully prepared by a hydrothermal method and characterized by standard techniques. Among all these catalysts, BiOBr showed the highest photocatalytic activity. Parameters such as pH, ibuprofen concentration and catalyst loading were investigated to explore their effects and optimize the conditions. Various mineral compounds present in the wastewater can influence the degradation rate of the pollutant. The influence of chloride, bicarbonate and nitrate ions was therefore investigated. In addition, various radical scavengers were used to identify the reactive species that play an important role in the photocatalytic reaction.
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