Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 20, 2026

Use of a Battery of Chemical and Ecotoxicological Methods for the Assessment of the Efficacy of Wastewater Treatment Processes to Remove Estrogenic Potency
09:49

Use of a Battery of Chemical and Ecotoxicological Methods for the Assessment of the Efficacy of Wastewater Treatment Processes to Remove Estrogenic Potency

Published on: September 11, 2016

14.6K

Hospital wastewaters treatment: Fenton reaction vs. BDDE vs. ferrate(VI)

Tomáš Mackuľak1, Roman Grabic2, Viera Špalková1

  • 1Institute of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology, Radlinského 9, 812 37, Bratislava, Slovakia.

Environmental Science and Pollution Research International
|September 6, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Hospital wastewater contains micropollutants and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Advanced oxidation processes, like the modified Fenton reaction and boron-doped diamond electrode, effectively removed over 90% of these contaminants.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Chemistry
  • Water Treatment Technologies
  • Microbiology

Background:

  • Hospital wastewater is a significant source of micropollutants, including pharmaceuticals and antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
  • These contaminants pose risks to aquatic ecosystems and human health.
  • Effective treatment methods are crucial for hospital wastewater management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the presence and concentrations of 74 pharmaceuticals and antibiotic-resistant bacteria in Slovakian and Czech hospital wastewaters.
  • To evaluate the efficacy of advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) for treating these highly polluted wastewaters.
  • To compare different AOPs, including modified Fenton reaction, ferrate(VI), and boron-doped diamond electrode oxidation.

Main Methods:

  • Micropollutant analysis using in-line solid-phase extraction coupled with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (SPE-LC-MS/MS).
  • Antibiotic-resistant bacteria detection via cultivation on selective media.
  • Application and performance assessment of modified Fenton reaction, ferrate(VI), and boron-doped diamond electrode oxidation.

Main Results:

  • High concentrations of pharmaceuticals like cotinine, bisoprolol, metoprolol, tramadol, sulfamethoxazole, and ranitidine were detected.
  • Modified Fenton reaction and boron-doped diamond electrode oxidation achieved >90% removal of most micropollutants.
  • All tested AOPs successfully eliminated antibiotic-resistant bacteria from the wastewater.

Conclusions:

  • Hospital wastewater contains a complex mixture of pharmaceuticals and antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
  • Advanced oxidation processes, particularly modified Fenton reaction and boron-doped diamond electrode, show high potential for effective hospital wastewater treatment.
  • These methods offer a promising solution for mitigating the environmental impact of hospital effluents.
Keywords:
Antibiotic-resistant bacteriaBoron-doped diamond electrodeFenton-like reactionFerrate(VI)Hospital effluents characterizationWastewater

More Related Videos

Mesocosm-Scale Constructed Wetland Design for Wastewater Treatment08:24

Mesocosm-Scale Constructed Wetland Design for Wastewater Treatment

Published on: May 2, 2025

889
Comparison of Scale in a Photosynthetic Reactor System for Algal Remediation of Wastewater05:40

Comparison of Scale in a Photosynthetic Reactor System for Algal Remediation of Wastewater

Published on: March 6, 2017

9.5K

Related Concept Videos

Hospitals-II00:59

Hospitals-II

Hospitals provide inpatient and outpatient services. Inpatient services provide care to patients that stay in the hospital for an extended period, ranging from days to months. Examples of inpatient services include intensive care units, hospital wards, or surgeries. Outpatient services provide care to patients who come to a hospital for a diagnostic or treatment but do not stay overnight —for example, diagnostic tests, surgical procedures, or health education.
Nurses that work in...
1.1K
Use of a Battery of Chemical and Ecotoxicological Methods for the Assessment of the Efficacy of Wastewater Treatment Processes to Remove Estrogenic Potency09:49

Use of a Battery of Chemical and Ecotoxicological Methods for the Assessment of the Efficacy of Wastewater Treatment Processes to Remove Estrogenic Potency

Endocrine Disrupting Compounds (EDC) pose a substantial risk to the aquatic environment. Municipal wastewater treatment plants are major contributors to the estrogenic potency of surface waters. The methodology provided in this paper allows for an assessment of the efficacy and suitability of wastewater treatment processes with respect to EDC...
14.6K
Hospitals-I01:28

Hospitals-I

Hospitals offer medical and surgical care to the sick and injured, along with accommodation while they recover. At the same time, they also provide outpatient, emergency, psychiatric, and rehabilitation services to meet various community needs. In addition to providing medical care, hospitals also act as hubs for medical research and training. Hospitals use clinical procedures and evidence-based practice standards to deliver patient care. To deliver safe and efficient care, a nurse must stay up...
1.5K
Mesocosm-Scale Constructed Wetland Design for Wastewater Treatment08:24

Mesocosm-Scale Constructed Wetland Design for Wastewater Treatment

Constructed wetland treatment systems have been used for decades to treat wastewater, but their application to treat oil sands process-affected waters is relatively new. To explore this potential, a surface flow mesocosm design and experimental methods are outlined. This approach aims to enhance our understanding of key design parameters and improve treatment...
889
Comparison of Scale in a Photosynthetic Reactor System for Algal Remediation of Wastewater05:40

Comparison of Scale in a Photosynthetic Reactor System for Algal Remediation of Wastewater

An experimental methodology is presented to compare the performance of small (100 L) and large (1,000 L) scale reactors designed for algae remediation of landfill wastewater. System characteristics, including surface area to volume ratio, retention time, biomass density, and wastewater feed concentrations, can be adjusted based on...
9.5K
Quantification and Whole Genome Characterization of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in Wastewater and Air Samples09:26

Quantification and Whole Genome Characterization of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in Wastewater and Air Samples

This protocol aims to quantify SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater and air samples to be used for wastewater-based epidemiology studies and to assess the exposure risk to SARS-CoV-2 in indoor and outdoor aerosols. This protocol also describes a tiled amplicon long-template sequencing approach for SARS-CoV-2 whole genome...
1.5K