Pharmaceuticals　and　personal　care　products　(PPCPs)　have　attracted　much　recent　attention　as　widespread　emerging　environmental　contaminants,　both　due　to　their　near　ubiquitous　detection　in　surface　waters　adjacent　urban　areas,　but　also　their　potential　to　generate　endocrine　modulating　responses　at　low　concentrations　in　exposed　organisms.　Although　usually　being　detected　in　environmental　matrices　only　at　μg/L　or　ng/L　ranges,　the　adverse　effects　in　exposed　aquatic　organisms　have　been　widely　reported　and　prompted　concerns　over　the　potential　for　human　health　effects.　Consequently,　there　has　been　increasing　research　attention　paid　to　cost-effectively　removing　PPCPs.　Numerous　studies　have　examined　the　occurrence　and　fate　of　PPCPs　in　wastewater　and　adjacent　receiving　environments,　focusing　on　their　removal　by　conventional　and　advanced　treatment　processes　at　varying　scales　ranging　from　the　lab　to　bench　experiments　to　full　treatment　plant　manipulations.　This　review　will　discuss　various　photonic　assisted　advanced　oxidization　treatments　such　as　photocatalytic　degradation,　photolysis,　ozonation　and　photoelectrolysis　with　advantages　and　limitations　of　each　treatment　approach　(or　combinations　thereof)　in　removing　PPCPs.　Elucidating　the　fate　and　effects　of　PPCPs　in　the　environment,　and　the　potential　of　recent　technologies　to　limit　their　environmental　contamination,　are　the　key　elements　in　protecting　future　ecosystem　and　human　health.　©　2016,　Beijing　University　of　Technology.　All　right　reserved.