Contaminated drinking water is a major health hazard in large urban areas as well as remote communities. Several pollutants detected in rivers and lakes are hormone disruptors that are harmful to consumers as well as aquatic life. In this contribution, we present a new material, synthesized using novel green technologies, designed for solar- or LED-driven degradation of pollutants. This material is based on a glass fiber support, loaded with black TiO₂, a modified form of TiO₂ with strong visible light absorption and without any toxic metal or non-metal dopants. This photocatalyst is fully compatible with flow applications. The effectiveness of the catalyst is demonstrated with crocin and 17β-estradiol, the former being a natural carotenoid used as a screening tool and the latter being a common hormonal disruptor. Our work shows that under visible light illumination, our supported black TiO₂ can degrade these water contaminants with greater efficiency than conventional TiO₂. We envision that our findings can contribute to the production of inexpensive, large-scale solar or LED-based water decontamination systems that could be rapidly deployed to sites in need. Operation of such systems would require minimal training and could be monitored remotely. In addition to the catalyst’s non-toxicity and inflow compatibility, the material also has a long shelf life and is easy and inexpensive to produce, making it an attractive candidate for developing water treatment devices.

The United Nations and the World Health Organization provide clear guidelines to ensure water security for urban and rural populations. Common contaminants include bacteria and a variety of organic contaminants, such as medications and agricultural runoff. The rapid advancement of point-of-use water treatment is crucial to align with these international recommendations. While some problems are chronic and require long-term solutions, others are transient contamination issues that occur without warning and frequently lead to boil water advisories that can last for extended periods. In these cases, providing reliable water security requires solutions that can be deployed rapidly, are affordable, and can be implemented at the point of use with minimal operator training. Our research explores the state of the art in photocatalysis as a method for purifying water from organic contaminants and bacteria. We present a comparative analysis of various catalysts, supports, and light sources, along with our perspective on the benefits of flow systems. Practical solutions require flow techniques that are portable and can address at least the recommended survival requirements of ~7.5 L per capita per day for small communities, schools, or small hospitals. In this perspective, we propose that flow-compatible modified TiO₂ catalysts can offer practical solutions implemented with either solar light or LED sources in the UVA or visible region.