Determination of pharmaceutical compounds in hospital wastewater and their elimination by advanced oxidation processes

201754 citationsJournal Article

Authors

Fernanda Siqueira Souza · Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul

Vanessa V. Da Silva · Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul

Catiusa Kuchak Rosin · Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul

Luana Hainzenreder Bauer · Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul

Alexandre Arenzon · Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul

Tânia Mara Pizzolato · Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul

Abstract

This study investigates the mineralization efficiency, i.e. removal of total organic carbon (TOC) in hospital wastewater by direct ozonation, ozonation with UV radiation (O3/UV), homogeneous catalytic ozonation (O3/Fe2+) and homogeneous photocatalytic ozonation (O3/Fe2+/UV). The influence of pH and reaction time was evaluated. For the best process, toxicity and degradation efficiency of the selected pharmaceutical compounds (PhCs) were determined. The results showed that the PhCs detected in the hospital wastewater were completely degraded when the mineralization efficiency reached 54.7% for O3/UV with 120 minutes of reaction time using a rate of 1.57 g O3 h-1. This process also achieved a higher chemical oxygen demand removal efficiency (64.05%), an increased aromaticity reduction efficiency (81%) and a toxicity reduction.

Topics & Keywords

Pharmaceutical and Antibiotic Environmental Impacts Water Quality Monitoring and Analysis Advanced oxidation water treatment

UN Sustainable Development Goals

Clean water and sanitation

Publication Details

Published in: Journal of Environmental Science and Health Part A

Volume 53, Issue 3, pp. 213-221

DOI: 10.1080/10934529.2017.1387013

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