Biosorption potential of activated sludge in pharmaceutical wastewater treatment

Iako su farmaceutici prisutni u okolišu već desetljećima njihova se razina počela kvantificirati posljednjih 15 godina te predstavljaju „nove onečišćujuće tvari“ u okolišu. Farmaceutici u otpadnim vodama predstavljaju problem jer su farmakološki aktivni, otporni na razgradnju i imaju dugi vijek trajanja. Biološka obrada je najprihvatljiviji način uklanjanje farmaceutika iz otpadnih voda. U ovom radu proveden je proces bisorpcije farmaceutske otpadne vode s aktivnim muljem u fazi endogene respiracije. Pokusi P1 i P2 provedeni su šaržnim uvjetima pri početnim koncentracijama farmaceutske otpadne vode S01 = 2228,9 ± 413,4 mg L^-1 i S02 = 1589,9 ± 161,3 mg L^-1 te pri različitim početnim koncentracijama aktivnog mulja od 3,27 ± 0,13 g L^-1 do 7,50 ± 0,68 g L^-1. Tijekom pokusa određivane su koncentracije supstrata i aktivnog mulja, pH-vrijednost, temperatura i testovi toksičnosti. Učinkovitost procesa biosorpcije iznosila je do 11,0 % u P1 i 14,6 % u P2.Although pharmaceuticals are present in the environment for several decades, in the last 15 years their levels started being quantified. Pharmaceuticals in the environment are classified as "new emerging contaminants". Because of their pharmacological activity, degradation resistance and long retention time, pharmaceuticals in wastewater represent an increasing concern over the environmental risks. Biological treatment is the most acceptable way of their removal from the wastewater. In this paper the process of biosorption of pharmaceutical wastewater on the activated sludge in endogenous respiration phase was conducted. Experiments P1 and P2 were conducted in batch conditions at initial concentrations of pharmaceutical wastewater S01 = 2228.9 ± 413,4 mg L^-1 and S02 = 1589.9 ± 161,3 mg L^-1 with different initial concentrations of active sludge from 3.27 ± 0.13 g L^-1 to 7.50 ± 0.68 g L^-1. During experiments, monitoring of substrate and activated sludge concentrations, pH-level, temperature and toxicity tests were performed. Maximum biosorption efficiency was 11.0 % in P1 and 14.6 % in P2