Degradation of diclofenac using advanced oxidation processes: a review

Diclofenac (DCF) is one of the emerging compounds in the environment. There are many sources of diclofenac, such as effluent of pharmaceutical industries, wastewater treatment plant effluent, and domestic wastewater. It requires advanced treatment because it cannot be removed from water and sludges using the conventional wastewater treatment process. Catalytic and free radical methods also known as advanced oxidation process (AOP) can degrade large and complex organic compounds into smaller ones. In this review, each AOP method is critically assessed for the removal of DCF in water.