The method, created by scientists from the from the University of Barcelona, Spain, and the Federal Polytechnic School in Lausanne, Switzerland could be used in water purification plants, which would avoid the emission of pharmaceutical pollutants into rivers, lakes, seas and other surface waters.
The new technique consists of subjecting water polluted with ibuprofen to ultrasonic waves that are generated by a piezoelectric generator, which converts electrical energy into mechanical energy and is located at the bottom of the reaction tank. In this way the drug is totally eliminated.