Carbon nanomaterials for emerging contaminant remediation: Addressing pharmaceutical pollution in the water cycle with precision

Carbon nanomaterials (CNMs), including carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphene, and carbon dots (CDs), have emerged as promising solutions for pharmaceutical waste remediation in aquatic environments. CNMs outperform traditional adsorbents such as activated carbon owing to their high surface area, strong adsorption capabilities, and enhanced reactivity, making them effective in capturing and degrading a wide range of pharmaceutical pollutants. CNTs exhibit exceptional adsorption capacities owing to their porous structure and high surface area, whereas graphene and its derivatives offer enhanced adsorption and catalytic properties. CDs, owing to their excellent water solubility and tunable surface functionalities, have shown potential for both the adsorption and photocatalytic degradation of pharmaceutical contaminants. The synthesis methods for CNMs, including chemical vapor deposition, hydrothermal synthesis, and laser ablation, can be tailored to produce materials with specific characteristics that enhance their performance in pharmaceutical waste remediation. Numerous studies have demonstrated the efficacy of CNMs in removing various pharmaceutical compounds from aqueous solutions, such as antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, and hormones, with superior performance compared to conventional adsorbents, such as activated carbon. However, challenges such as potential nanotoxicity, environmental persistence, and high production costs need to be addressed for the widespread application of CNMs in water treatment. Future research should focus on developing biodegradable and less toxic CNMs, improving synthesis and functionalization techniques for cost-effectiveness, and enhancing the stability and regeneration of CNM-based systems.