Recent advances on TiO2-based photocatalysts toward the degradation of pesticides and major organic pollutants from water bodies

ABSTRACT Pesticides and organic waste constitute a group of environmental pollutants that are widely distributed in our environment due to various human activities. Adsorptive removal and photocatalytic degradation of these pollutants from water have emerged as energy and cost-effective technologies. However, advanced oxidation technologies are gaining attention as an effective method for wastewater treatment capable of degrading a diverse spectrum of organic contaminants. Photocatalysis is a promising advanced oxidation technology to alleviate water pollution problems. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is the most popular photocatalyst due to its low cost, nontoxicity, high oxidizing abilities, and easy immobilization on various surfaces. The current review aims to highlight recent advancements in photocatalytic degradation of pesticides and major organic pollutants using TiO2-based photocatalysts. Indeed, most of the methods, which employed potent catalysts, showed and exhibited successful degradation of the pesticides under various conditions. We believe this topic of research is extremely vital and will continue to grow in recent years, reaching ultimate desirable results and find more applications in different fields of study.