Occurrence and removal of pharmaceuticals from water using modified zeolites: a review

High consumption of pharmaceuticals has led to an increase in their discharge and detection in waters around the world. Most pharmaceutical compounds are not fully metabolized by the human body and end up in the environment, causing chronic contamination of aquatic species and posing an environmental and health threat. A low-cost and low-impact alternative for the removal of pharmaceuticals from water is their adsorption by modified zeolites. Herein is reported a review of the worldwide occurrence and removal by adsorption of these contaminants from water using modified zeolites. We found that pharmaceutical contamination of water is widespread and that adsorption by modified zeolites is a viable alternative with a satisfying removal efficiency for different pharmaceuticals.