Nanofiltration (NF) membranes were used for treating water containing pharmaceuticals (15-150 mu g L-1), discharging a permeate practically free of contaminants, and the concentrate was treated with mild solar photo-Fenton operated at pH5-6, low iron (5 mg Fe2+ L-1) and hydrogen peroxide concentrations (<25 mg L-1). The pharmaceuticals selected for this study were carbamazepine, flumequine, ibuprofen, ofloxacin, and sulfamethoxazole, dissolved in natural water. NF used two 5.2-m(2) membranes operated in parallel and in batch mode. Solar photo-Fenton experiments were carried out in a 3-m(2) CPC solar pilot plant having a total volume of 35 L. Concentration of five pharmaceuticals at 15 mu g L-1 by NF produced a permeate containing less than 1.5% of the initial concentration of pharmaceuticals and a concentrated stream containing around 150 pig L-1 of each compound. Solar photo-Fenton process applied to this stream led to a reduction of 88% and 89% in treatment time and hydrogen peroxide consumption, respectively, compared to solar photo-Fenton-only, demonstrating the advantage of a proper combination between NF and advanced oxidation processes. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.