The ultraviolet (UV)/H₂O₂, UV/O₃, UV/peroxodisulfate (PDS) and UV/peroxymonosulfate (PMS) methods are called UV-based advanced oxidation processes. In the UV/H₂O₂ and UV/O₃ processes, the free radicals generated are hydroxyl radicals (•OH), while in the UV/PDS and UV/PMS processes, sulfate radicals (SO₄^•−) predominate, accompanied by •OH. SO₄^•− are considered to be more advantageous than •OH in degrading organic substances, so the researches on activation of PDS and PMS have become a hot spot in recent years. Especially the utilization of UV-activated PDS and PMS in removing antibiotics in water has received much attention. Some influencing factors and mechanisms are constantly investigated and discussed in the UV/PDS and UV/PMS systems toward antibiotics degradation. However, a systematic review about UV/PDS and UV/PMS in eliminating antibiotics is lacking up to now. Therefore, this review is intended to present the properties of UV sources, antibiotics, and PDS (PMS), to discuss the application of UV/PDS (PMS) in degrading antibiotics from the aspects of effect, influencing factors and mechanism, and to analyze and propose future research directions.

Nano-ferrosoferric-oxide (nFe₃O₄)-activated persulfate (PS) technology was used to remove pollutant bisphenol A (BPA) in water. The effects of nFe₃O₄ concentration, PS concentration, BPA concentration, temperature, and pH were investigated in terms of the degradation effect of BPA. The results showed that more PS dosage and lower BPA concentration could improve the degradation rate of BPA. When other conditions were constant, the degradation rate of BPA increased with the increase of temperature. When pH was 5, the degradation rate of BPA was the highest. When the initial PS concentration and pH were changed, the degradation rate of BPA was consistent with the pseudo-secondary kinetic model. Under other conditions, the degradation rate of BPA was consistent with the pseudo-first-order kinetic model. Sulfate radical (SO₄^•−) produced by nFe₃O₄/PS system was mainly responsible for the degradation of BPA.