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Towards an innovative combined process coupling biodegradation and photo-oxidation for the removal of pharmaceutical residues
- Source :
- Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, Wiley, 2021, 96 (3), pp.755-763. ⟨10.1002/jctb.6589⟩, Digital.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC, instname
- Publication Year :
- 2021
- Publisher :
- Wiley-Blackwell, 2021.
-
Abstract
- BACKGROUND: The occurrence of pharmaceutical compounds in wastewater has become a major concern for human health and the environment. Therefore, it is an important challenge to improve conventional wastewater treatment to remove these compounds. Coupling biological treatment with advanced oxidation technology has been widely studied in the literature, but only sequential associations of the two processes have been used. This study proposes an innovative concept based on a real integration of the photocatalytic oxidation process in a continuous recycling loop on a membrane bioreactor. The role of the oxidation here is not to completely degrade pharmaceuticals, but instead to oxidize them moderately to increase their biodegradability so that they can be eliminated by the biological process. RESULTS: Preliminary experiments on the oxidation process indicated that a flux density of 5 W m−2 was sufficient to increase biodegradability and decrease the toxicity of a cocktail of three pharmaceuticals. Then the performance of a 20-L continuous membrane bioreactor treating wastewater with seven pharmaceuticals, without and with pre-oxidation at 5 W m−2, were compared. Pre-oxidation increased the global removal for some recalcitrant pharmaceuticals (from 3% to 47% for diclofenac and from 1% to 44% for furosemide) without affecting either the removal of carbon, nitrogen or phosphorous by activated sludge, or of already highly removed pharmaceuticals. CONCLUSION: This work proves the feasibility of an innovative concept of a continuous hybrid process coupling a photocatalytic oxidation process and a membrane bioreactor for the treatment of pharmaceuticals in wastewater, with low cost and size. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).<br />This work was supported by the Program ‘SUDOE’ on the project Innovec'EAU 2016-2019 under award number SUDOE SOE1/P1/F0173. We thank R. Garcia and J. J. Huc for their help in designing and building the demonstrator, and Victor Pueyo for doing the analysis.
- Subjects :
- General Chemical Engineering
02 engineering and technology
Wastewater treatment
010501 environmental sciences
Membrane bioreactor
01 natural sciences
12. Responsible consumption
Inorganic Chemistry
Bioreactors
[CHIM.GENI]Chemical Sciences/Chemical engineering
Bioreactor
Photocatalysis
Waste-Water
Waste Management and Disposal
0105 earth and related environmental sciences
Photocatalytic oxidation
Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
Chemistry
[SDE.IE]Environmental Sciences/Environmental Engineering
Organic Chemistry
Biodegradation
021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology
Pulp and paper industry
Pollution
6. Clean water
Fuel Technology
Activated sludge
Wastewater
Hybrid process
Scientific method
Pharmaceuticals
Sewage treatment
Process Intensification
Micropollutants
0210 nano-technology
Removal
Biotechnology
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 02682575 and 10974660
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, Wiley, 2021, 96 (3), pp.755-763. ⟨10.1002/jctb.6589⟩, Digital.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC, instname
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....acae0c45b2d983ac673351da6ad057d9