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Various pollutants are released during pharmaceutical production processes, which is of great concern. Most studies have focused on the terminal treatment results of mixed pharmaceutical wastewater, and further research on wastewater from the production processes is required. This study investigated the wastewater quality indicators, residual antibiotics, and biological toxicity of the wastewater during the production process in a large pharmaceutical producing factory in Northern China. The wastewater contained numerous organic pollutants, with the chemical oxygen demand (COD) values ranging from 2.0 × 103 to 2.6 × 105 mg L−1 and the total nitrogen (TN) values ranging from 1.3 × 103 to 2.0 × 104 mg L−1. High concentrations of cephalexin and cefradine remained in the wastewater of the production workshop, with the highest concentration of cefradine reaching 1328 mg L−1. The wastewater from the oxidation and solvent recovery workshops was more toxic to Vibrio fischeri and Daphnia magna than that of other workshops. Moreover, the biological acute toxicity of wastewater was significantly correlated with the concentration of COD and TN (p < 0.01). This study provides new insights into the treatment of antibiotic production wastewater, illuminating the incomplete extraction of products and the significant risk posed by pharmaceutical wastewater to the environment. [Display omitted] • Comprehensive analysis in the pharmaceutical production wastewater. • Pharmaceutical wastewater was toxic to V. fischeri and D. magna. • Antibiotics were less toxic to organisms than mixed wastewater. • Biotoxicity was positively correlated with COD, TN, and TP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discharge of pharmaceutical wastewater introduces numerous pollutants into the environment, and their pollution level reduction has aroused extensive concern. This study investigated the variation in residual antibiotics and ecotoxicity to two nutritional-level model organisms in the pharmaceutical wastewater treatment process (PWTP). The wastewater in the equalization tank contained massive organic matters (2.9–18.7 times higher than the permissible values in GB21903-2008) and antibiotics (310.88 μg/L), posing extremely toxic effects to Vibrio fischeri (V. fischeri) and Daphnia magna (D. magna). The biological anaerobic/aerobic treatment units contributed the most to the reduction of antibiotics and the ecotoxicity to both organisms, with the removal rates of 72% and > 90%, respectively. The ecotoxicity of pharmaceutical wastewater was strongly and positively correlated with the residual antibiotics, amoxicillin, cephalexin, ammonia nitrogen, and total phosphorus (P < 0.05). However, the detected amounts of amoxicillin and cephalexin were approximately 105 times lower than the predicted no-effect concentrations of amoxicillin and cephalexin to V. fischeri and D. magna in freshwater, which implied the joint ecotoxicity posed by multicomponent mixtures, such as the residual antibiotics and organic toxic substances, rather than the specific residual antibiotics. This study provides a better understanding of the variations and residual levels of pollutants in PWTPs, including their ecotoxicity risk to the aquatic environment, highlighting the need to optimize pharmaceutical wastewater treatment technologies. [Display omitted] • Pharmaceutical wastewater contained massive organics and antibiotics. • Pharmaceutical wastewater poses extreme toxic to V. fischeri and D. magna. • The biological unit contributes the most to antibiotic and ecotoxicity reduction. • The ecotoxicity was positively correlated with the amoxicillin and cephalexin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various pollutants are released during pharmaceutical production processes, which is of great concern. Most studies have focused on the terminal treatment results of mixed pharmaceutical wastewater, and further research on wastewater from the production processes is required. This study investigated the wastewater quality indicators, residual antibiotics, and biological toxicity of the wastewater during the production process in a large pharmaceutical producing factory in Northern China. The wastewater contained numerous organic pollutants, with the chemical oxygen demand (COD) values ranging from 2.0 × 103 to 2.6 × 105 mg L−1 and the total nitrogen (TN) values ranging from 1.3 × 103 to 2.0 × 104 mg L−1. High concentrations of cephalexin and cefradine remained in the wastewater of the production workshop, with the highest concentration of cefradine reaching 1328 mg L−1. The wastewater from the oxidation and solvent recovery workshops was more toxic to Vibrio fischeri and Daphnia magna than that of other workshops. Moreover, the biological acute toxicity of wastewater was significantly correlated with the concentration of COD and TN (p < 0.01). This study provides new insights into the treatment of antibiotic production wastewater, illuminating the incomplete extraction of products and the significant risk posed by pharmaceutical wastewater to the environment. [Display omitted] • Comprehensive analysis in the pharmaceutical production wastewater. • Pharmaceutical wastewater was toxic to V. fischeri and D. magna. • Antibiotics were less toxic to organisms than mixed wastewater. • Biotoxicity was positively correlated with COD, TN, and TP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]