## 3 Artificial Intervention in the Degradation of Antibiotics
### Supercritical Water Oxidation  
Supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) technology is an advanced oxidation method designed for the efficient treatment of challenging organic pollutants, which is particularly effective in degrading emerging contaminants such as antibiotics. Supercritical water, characterized by temperatures exceeding 374.15 \({}^{\circ}\)C and pressures above 22.1 MPa, exhibits unique physicochemical properties, including a low dielectric constant, high diffusivity, and strong solubility. These properties facilitate the rapid mineralization of organic substances into carbon dioxide (CO\({}_{2}\)) and H\({}_{2}\)O [88]. In recent years, the accumulation of antibiotics in the environment and their potential threats to ecology and public health have made supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) technology a focal point of research due to its efficiency and environmental sustainability. The primary mechanisms by which SCWO degrades antibiotics include free radical oxidation, ring-opening reactions, and the cleavage of the central carbon chain. For instance, through a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis [PERSON] et al. discovered that, in the absence of oxidants, the degradation products of tetracycline were predominantly tricyclic and bicyclic compounds. However, the addition of hydrogen peroxide (H\({}_{2}\)O\({}_{2}\)) led to the formation of smaller molecular chain compounds, such as acetamide, indicating that the oxidant enhanced mineralization [89]. Similarly, [PERSON] et al. noted that the degradation of amoxicillin involves the cleavage of the \(\beta\)-lactam ring and the attack of hydroxyl radicals, ultimately resulting in the production of short-chain carboxylic acids and ammonium (NH\({}_{4}\)) [90]. The degradation efficiency of antibiotics in supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) is significantly influenced by factors such as the temperature, oxidant concentration, reaction time, and initial pollutant concentration. Research indicates that elevated temperaturesand the addition of oxidants can substantially enhance the degradation rate. For instance, [PERSON] et al. treated wastewater containing amoxicillin and ciprofloxacin in a continuous flow reactor and discovered that at 500 \({}^{\circ}\)C with an oxidant coefficient of \(n=1\), the degradation rates of both antibiotics exceeded 98% [90]. Similarly, [PERSON] et al. degraded tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) in a batch quartz tube reactor and found that at 400 \({}^{\circ}\)C, the addition of H\({}_{2}\)O\({}_{2}\) (\(n=1\)) resulted in the complete degradation of TC within 100 s [89]. Furthermore, the effect of the initial concentration on degradation efficiency is characterized by the principle that \"low concentration leads to a high removal rate, while high concentration results in a high removal amount.\" [PERSON] et al. treated amoxicillin in pharmaceutical wastewater and achieved a total organic carbon (TOC) removal rate of 78% under optimized conditions (682 \({}^{\circ}\)C, \(n=1\)), with hydrogen gas being the primary product in the gas phase (37.68%). This indicates that SCWO has the potential for both pollutant degradation and energy recovery [91]. The kinetics of the supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) degradation of antibiotics generally follows a first-order reaction model, and the addition of oxidants can alter the activation energy. For instance, a study by [PERSON] et al. on the kinetics of tetracycline (TC) demonstrates that the activation energy without oxidants is 6.14 kJ/mol, which increases to 25.66 kJ/mol upon the addition of hydrogen peroxide (H\({}_{2}\)O\({}_{2}\)). This indicates that the oxidant facilitates a more comprehensive degradation pathway [89]. Additionally, [PERSON] et al. elucidated the degradation mechanism of amoxicillin in supercritical water through molecular dynamics simulations, suggesting that radical attack and ring-opening reactions are the primary pathway [92]. Furthermore, [PERSON] et al.