India, March 13 -- Researchers atNational Institute of Technology (NIT) Rourkelahave developed a process to remove pharmaceutical pollutants from wastewater. The two-stage process combines adsorption and biodegradation to tackle a wide range of pharmaceutical compounds, including antibiotics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSIDs), and synthetic dyes.

Pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) have become contaminants of emerging concern due to their bioaccumulation and biomagnification through the food chain, posing significant risks to humans and aquatic organisms even at trace concentrations.

As per the research at NIT, in the first stage, the antibiotics are captured using biochar adsorbents derived from roasted coco peat and ...