BACKGROUNDSelective serotonin reuptake inhibitor sertraline is found to be one of the most persistent pharmaceutical drugs and it has been detected in effluents from wastewater treatment plants. This work evaluates the feasibility of homogeneous solar photo-Fenton oxidation for treating aqueous solutions containing sertraline. RESULTSThe influence of iron and H2O2 dosages was studied in order to optimize the reagents consumption. The beneficial role of simulated solar irradiation was noticeable and sertraline was readily oxidized; TOC removal up to 90% was achieved at a hydrogen peroxide dose as low as 40% of the stoichiometric amount for mineralization. Dechlorination was the first step of the proposed reaction pathway giving rise to the formation of by-products of much lower toxicity. CONCLUSIONSSolar simulated photo-Fenton allowed reduction of the doses of iron and H2O2 needed, and therefore the main operating cost associated with this process, without compromising the quality of the effluent in terms of ecotoxicity. (c) 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.