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Removal of acidic pharmaceuticals within a nitrifying recirculating biofilter
W H Krkošek1, S J Payne1, G A Gagnon1
1Department of Civil and Resource Engineering, Dalhousie University, 1360 Barrington St. D514, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada.
Journal of Hazardous Materials
|April 15, 2014
Summary
Recirculating biofilters effectively remove acidic pharmaceuticals like ibuprofen and naproxen from wastewater. These systems show promise for treating pharmaceutical compounds in decentralized wastewater treatment facilities.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Environmental Engineering
- Water Treatment
Background:
- Pharmaceuticals in wastewater are a growing concern, especially in rural areas.
- Limited research exists on pharmaceutical removal in decentralized wastewater systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of a bench-scale nitrifying recirculating biofilter (RBF) for removing acidic pharmaceutical compounds (PhACs).
- To assess PhAC removal from secondary treated municipal wastewater at varying concentrations.
Main Methods:
- A bench-scale nitrifying recirculating biofilter (RBF) was used.
- Four acidic PhACs (ibuprofen, naproxen, gemfibrozil, diclofenac) were tested at 20 and 200 μg/L.
- Removal efficiencies were measured and compared to literature values.
Main Results:
- High removal rates (92-99%) were observed for ibuprofen and naproxen, primarily via biological transformation.
- Moderate to good removal (62-92%) for gemfibrozil and (40-76%) for diclofenac, attributed to biological transformation and sorption.
- RBF performance was repeatable, robust, and unaffected by PhAC mixtures.
Conclusions:
- Nitrifying RBFs demonstrate potential as a viable technology for removing certain acidic pharmaceuticals in small, onsite wastewater treatment systems.
- RBFs can be a reliable component of multi-stage filtration processes for managing pharmaceutical pollution.
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