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Bio-electro-Fenton is emerging as an alternative technology for the efficient and cost-effective removal of refractory micropollutants. Though promising, there are still several challenges that limit its wide application, including acidic operating conditions (pH at 2–3), the addition of supporting electrolytes (e.g., Na₂SO₄), and the issue of iron sludge generation. To address these challenges, a novel hybrid persulfate-photo-bioelectrochemical (PPBEC) system is proposed to remove model micropollutants (carbamazepine and clorfibric acid), from secondary effluent at low persulfate (PS) dosage and neutral pH. The effect of crucial operating parameters on the process was studied, including input voltage, cathodic aeration velocity, and PS dose. Under optimal conditions (0.6 V, 0.005 mL min⁻¹ mL⁻¹ and 1 mM), the PPBEC system achieved approx. 0.56–1.71 times greater micropollutant removal with 93% lower energy …