The beta-lactam antibiotics are some of the most prevalent pharmaceutical contaminants currently being detected in aquatic environments. Because the presence of any trace level of antibiotic in water may adversely affect aquatic ecosystems and contribute to the production of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, active removal by additional water treatments, such as using advanced oxidation and reduction processes (AO/RPs), may be required. However, to ensure that any AOP treatment process occurs efficiently and quantitatively, a full understanding of the kinetics and mechanisms of all of the chemical reactions involved under the conditions of use is necessary. In this study, we report on our kinetic measurements for the hydroxyl-radical-induced oxidation of 11 beta-lactam antibiotics obtained using electron pulse radiolysis techniques. For the 5-member ring species, an average reaction rate constant of (7.9 +/- 0.8) x 10(9) M-1 s(-1) was obtained, slightly faster than for the analogous 6-member ring containing antibiotics, (6.6 +/- 1.2) x 10(9) M-1 s(-1). The consistency of these rate constants for each group infers a common reaction mechanism, consisting of the partitioning of the hydroxyl radical between addition to peripheral aromatic rings and reaction with the central double-ring core of these antibiotics.