Pharmaceutical contamination poses a significant threat to ecosystems and advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) offer promising solutions. This study investigates the innovative degradation of daunorubicin, an anticancer drug, utilizing a novel combination of UV and gamma (γ) radiation with H₂O₂ (1 µmol L-1). This strategy significantly enhances degradation efficiency compared to conventional advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). The results demonstrated that while UV/H₂O₂ achieved 89.89% degradation of a 5 mg L-1 daunorubicin solution in 90 minutes, the gamma/H₂O₂ system achieved complete degradation at a lower treatment time and a gamma-absorbed dose of 4 kGy. This unique synergy combines the rapid generation of reactive oxygen species under UV radiation with the deeper penetration and oxidative capabilities of gamma radiation, offering unparalleled degradation efficiency. Chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduction of 56% for UV/H₂O₂ and 83% for gamma/H₂O₂ further emphasizes the environmental benefit of this approach. Kinetic parameters (G-Value, dose constant, D0.50, D0.90, D0.99) were also evaluated for gamma-treated samples, demonstrating a statistically significant performance improvement. Ecotoxicological assessments, including the Allium cepa bioassay and Ames test, revealed up to 96.21% and 95.83% reductions in mutagenicity (for TA100 and TA98, respectively) with gamma/H₂O₂, highlighting the detoxification potential. Analytical techniques such as HPLC, GC-MS and FTIR confirmed the successful breakdown of daunorubicin by-products. The study's methodology was optimized using response surface methodology (RSM), ensuring robust and reproducible results. This research underscores the superiority of integrating UV and gamma radiation with H₂O₂, presenting a transformative approach to pharmaceutical wastewater treatment.
Muhammad Imran Kanjal, Majid Muneer, Saif Ullah, Nighat Zia ud Den, Muhammad Wasim Afzal, Wissem Mnif, Zaina Algarni, Munawar Iqbal, Arif Nazir, Lotfi Mouni