The Problem of Treating Wastewater Containing Pharmaceutical Substances

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The Problem of Treating Wastewater Containing Pharmaceutical Substances

The efficiency of wastewater treatment in sewage treatment plants depends on many factors, among them is the presence of toxic substances in wastewater which affect activated sludge.

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Typically, a pharmaceutical substance (medicine) is a mixture prepared by treating natural materials by synthesis or chemical treatment. These chemicals are released into sewage in micro concentrations, but some of these chemicals have an extremely negative effect, which in many cases exceeds the effect of known contaminants entering the drains in large quantities.

Traces of pharmaceutical drugs were found in wastewater, surface water, activated sludge, oceanic sediments and annual rainfall and also in filters in municipal landfills in countries such as France, Germany, Great Britain, Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United States.

Wastewater from residential areas, medical institutions and pharmaceutical companies are discharged into municipal sewage, and then into treatment plants for the biological treatment. But even after the treatment the purified water that goes into natural waterways contains pharmaceutical drugs or their derivatives. This is explained by the fact that biological wastewater treatment in most cases is not intended to remove micro contaminants.

Chemical drugs poison the activated sludge microorganisms of treatment plants. The examination of toxic effects of pharmaceuticals show the negative change in the  biological nature of the activated sludge organisms, which changes the results of wastewater treatment.

The negative effects of pharmaceutical pollutants on the active sludge are various. Some of the pollutants slow down oxygenation of activated sludge, reducing its productivity, while others become food.

The remains of pharmaceuticals, after passing through biological treatment are discharged into surface waters and accumulate in the natural environment. They reduce the quality of water, violate the life-cycle of organisms and cause their abnormal development.

Best wishes,

Ms. Anna Morynets
GlobeCore GmbH
Edewechter Landstraße 173,
Oldenburg-Eversten,
Germany,
26131

e-mail: energie@globecore.de
phone: +17134893755

www.globecore.com 

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4 Comments

  1. Back to the nature.. treatment physically but not chemically or biologically..  can clean ​pharmaceutical ​pollutants by plasma reacting  in the water generating   multiple oxidants (like OH, H, O, O3 and H2O2) and simultaneously creates high intensity UV radiation measuring between 60nm and 300nm. During the discharge of the pulse, an acoustic and hydrosonic shock wave travels through the reactor at 3 to 4 times Mach speed. combining with ultrasonic and nano-bubble generator.. 

    AWP’s Electro-oxidation technology can be used for removal of:

    • Active pharmaceutical compounds: estrogen, cortisone, antibiotics, EDCs
    • Elimination of bacteria, viruses and parasites
    • Soluble organic matter
    • Color and odor 
    • Nitrogen compounds (nitrate, ammonia)
    • Specific toxins: CN, pesticides, herbicides, PCBs, phenols, fungicides.
    • BTEX and PAHs
    • Sulfides, thiols and amines
    • Free cyanide and inorganic cyanohydrins
    • Volatile or semi-volatile Hydrocarbons
    • Many of persistent organic compounds
    • Bacteria disinfection

    .
    Brochure: http://www.bbnworld.net/water/awp.pdf
    Any question to 
    Frank Choi/ bbn@bbnworld.com 
     

  2. This is a serious concern due to the growing use of pharmaceuticals in the world population, something I'm against, but that is a different arguement.

    This is not limited to "developed" nations, as you only mention such, in you paper. It is a worldwide problem and it has to be taken seriously. Some of these  pharmaceuticals are hormones, found in contraceptive pills or even worse compunds.

    If the effect of these compounds on the living flora, found in WWT plants, is not major, the resulting stream should be treated further to degrade these compounds. One effective method is ozonation and even better advanced oxidation with the hydroxyl ion. It's oxidative power is instantaneous. Even though its cost is somewhat high, it is effective and worth considering.
     

  3. An activated sludge plant is complex in nature with a variety of protozoa and metazoa feeding on the bacteria.  There are cases where the toxic material is absorbed by the protozoa, inhibiting their growth causing an increase in sludge content because it is no longer being harvested by protozoa.  This causes difficulties in running the plant.  So the impact of materials may not occur directly but indirectly.

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