The role of sorption processes in the removal of pharmaceuticals by fungal treatment of wastewater

The contribution of the sorption processes in the elimination of pharmaceuticals (PhACs) during the fungal treatment of wastewater has been evaluated in this work. The sorption of four PhACs (carbamazepine, diclofenac, iopromide and venlafaxine) by 6 different fungi was first evaluated in batch experiments. Concentrations of PhACs in both liquid and solid (biomass) matrices from the fungal treatment were measured. Contribution of the sorption to the total removal of pollutants ranged between 3% and 13% in relation to the initial amount. The sorption of 47 PhACs in fungi was also evaluated in a fungal treatment performed in 26 days in a continuous bioreactor treating wastewater from a veterinary hospital. PhACs levels measured in the fungal biomass were similar to those detected in conventional wastewater treatment (WWTP) sludge. This may suggest the necessity of manage fungal biomass as waste in the same manner that the WWTP sludge is managed. © 2017 Elsevier B.V.This work has been supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (project CTM 2013-48545 ), co-financed by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and supported by the Generalitat de Catalunya (Consolidated Research Group: Catalan Institute for water Research 2014 SGR 291). The Department of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) is member of the Xarxa de Referència en Biotecnologia de la Generalitat de Catalunya. Castellet-Rovira, F. acknowledges the predoctoral grant from UAB . D. Lucas acknowledges the predoctoral grant from the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports ( AP-2010-4926 ). S. Rodriguez-Mozaz acknowledges the Ramon y Cajal program ( RYC-2014-16707 ). Appendix APeer reviewe