MBR-UV/Cl₂ system in treating polluted surface water with typical PPCP contamination.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Water Treatment Technologies
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Polluted surface water poses risks due to pharmaceutical and personal care product (PPCP) contamination.
• Effective removal of PPCPs is crucial for public health and environmental safety.
• Conventional water treatment methods may not fully address emerging contaminants like PPCPs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of the membrane bioreactor-ultraviolet/chlorine (MBR-UV/Cl2) process for treating surface water contaminated with PPCPs.
• To determine the removal rates of various organic matters, ammonia, and specific PPCPs using the MBR-UV/Cl2 process.
• To assess the contribution of the UV/Cl2 component versus the MBR process in PPCP removal.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a combined Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) and Ultraviolet/Chlorine (UV/Cl2) treatment process.
• Application of the MBR-UV/Cl2 process to polluted surface water samples.
• Analysis of removal efficiencies for bulk organic matter, ammonia, and ten specific PPCPs (e.g., sulfamethoxazole, erythromycin, ibuprofen).
• Investigation of the UV/Cl2 process contribution to PPCP removal under optimized conditions (3-min HRT, 3 mg/L chlorine).

Main Results:

• The MBR-UV/Cl2 process achieved approximately 80% removal of organic matter and 95% removal of ammonia.
• High removal rates were observed for several PPCPs, including sulfamethoxazole (95.61%), roxithromycin (93.38%), and ibuprofen (93.80%).
• The UV/Cl2 component generally contributed more significantly to PPCP removal than the MBR process, except for specific compounds like oxytetracycline, roxithromycin, and ibuprofen.

Conclusions:

• The MBR-UV/Cl2 process demonstrates significant potential as an effective technology for treating polluted surface water contaminated with PPCPs.
• Optimized UV/Cl2 conditions (3-min HRT, 3 mg/L chlorine) are effective in removing trace PPCPs.
• The combined MBR-UV/Cl2 approach offers a promising solution for advanced water purification, addressing complex contaminant mixtures.