Summary
This systematic literature review, authored by a single researcher and published in the MDPI journal Sustainability in 2025, synthesises evidence on the application of advanced oxidation processes for the sustainable treatment of refractory wastewater — effluents containing compounds resistant to conventional biological treatment. The paper likely evaluates a range of AOP methods across multiple studies, comparing their efficacy, scalability, and environmental sustainability credentials. Its focus on refractory wastewater suggests relevance to industrial and agro-industrial effluent management, where conventional treatment falls short.
UK applicability
While the review is international in scope and not UK-specific, its findings are broadly applicable to UK water treatment operators and agro-industrial facilities facing tightening effluent discharge regulations under the Environment Act 2021 and Water Framework Directive-derived standards. UK water companies and food processors dealing with persistent organic contaminants may find comparative AOP evidence useful for technology selection.
Key measures
Pollutant removal efficiency (%); chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduction; energy consumption; types of AOP technologies assessed (e.g. ozonation, Fenton, photocatalysis, UV/H₂O₂)
Outcomes reported
The review examines the effectiveness of various advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) in degrading persistent organic pollutants and refractory contaminants in wastewater. It likely reports on removal efficiencies, treatment conditions, and the comparative sustainability of different AOP technologies.
Topic tags
Dig deeper with Pulse AI.
Pulse AI has read the whole catalogue. Ask about this record, its theme, or how the findings apply to UK farming and policy — every answer cites the underlying studies.