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Views: 222 Author: Carie Publish Time: 2025-03-17 Origin: Site
Content Menu
● How Pharmaceuticals Enter Sewage Systems
● Current Treatment Methods in Sewage Plants
>> 1. Conventional Activated Sludge
>> 3. Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs)
>> 4. Granular Activated Carbon (GAC)
>> 5. Ozonation
● Challenges in Removing Pharmaceuticals
>> 1. Ghana's Sewerage Systems
>> 3. European Union Initiatives
>> 1. Membrane Bioreactors (MBRs)
>> 2. Nanofiltration and Reverse Osmosis
>> 3. Biological Treatment Enhancements
● Public Awareness and Policy Changes
● FAQ
>> 1. Why are pharmaceuticals difficult to remove from wastewater?
>> 2. What are the environmental risks of pharmaceuticals in treated water?
>> 3. Which treatment methods are most effective for removing pharmaceuticals?
>> 4. How can individuals help reduce pharmaceutical pollution?
>> 5. Are there any cost-effective solutions for improving STPs?
Pharmaceutical contamination in water systems has become a growing concern worldwide. Medicines, including antibiotics, painkillers, and antidepressants, often find their way into sewage systems through human excretion, improper disposal, and industrial discharge. This article explores whether sewage treatment plants (STPs) effectively remove these pharmaceutical compounds and examines the technologies used, challenges faced, and potential solutions.
Pharmaceuticals are essential for human health but pose significant risks when released into the environment. Studies have shown that many pharmaceuticals persist even after wastewater treatment, leading to ecological and health concerns such as antibiotic resistance, endocrine disruption, and aquatic toxicity. This article delves into the efficiency of STPs in removing medicines and highlights advanced methods to improve the process.
Pharmaceuticals enter wastewater systems through various pathways:
- Human Excretion: Unmetabolized drugs are excreted through urine and feces.
- Improper Disposal: Flushing unused medicines down toilets or sinks.
- Industrial Discharge: Pharmaceutical manufacturing plants release residues into water systems.
Activated sludge is a widely used biological treatment method that relies on microorganisms to break down organic contaminants. However, it has limited success in removing persistent pharmaceuticals like antibiotics and antidepressants.
Trickling filters use aerobic bacteria to degrade contaminants. They have shown high efficiency in removing certain drugs like aspirin (93%), paracetamol (98%), and ibuprofen (99%) but struggle with compounds like diclofenac (74%).
AOPs involve chemical reactions that produce highly reactive species to degrade pharmaceuticals. Techniques include:
- Photocatalysis: Effective for degrading carbamazepine and propranolol.
- Fenton Oxidation: Enhances biodegradability of wastewater.
GAC adsorbs pharmaceutical molecules from water, achieving removal rates above 95% for some compounds.
Ozonation oxidizes pharmaceuticals, breaking them down into less harmful substances. It is particularly effective for antibiotics and antidepressants.
1. Chemical Diversity: Pharmaceuticals vary widely in structure and properties, making it difficult for a single treatment method to remove all types.
2. Low Biodegradability: Many drugs resist microbial degradation.
3. Cost: Advanced treatments like GAC and ozonation are expensive to implement on a large scale.
4. Environmental Risks: Residual pharmaceuticals in treated water can harm aquatic ecosystems.
To enhance pharmaceutical removal, researchers recommend:
- Combining multiple treatment methods (e.g., activated sludge with ozonation).
- Upgrading existing STPs with advanced technologies like AOPs.
- Encouraging proper disposal of medicines through public awareness campaigns.
A study on Ghana's STP showed high removal rates for paracetamol (98%) and ibuprofen (99%) but lower efficiency for diclofenac (74%). Researchers suggested phototransformation and sorption onto sludge to improve diclofenac removal.
In the U.S., granular activated carbon and ozonation achieved over 95% removal of several pharmaceuticals, outperforming conventional activated sludge systems.
The EU has implemented stricter regulations on wastewater treatment, emphasizing the use of advanced technologies to reduce pharmaceutical residues. This includes funding for research into cost-effective solutions.
MBRs combine biological treatment with membrane filtration, offering improved removal of pharmaceuticals compared to traditional activated sludge systems.
These membrane technologies can achieve nearly complete removal of pharmaceuticals but are energy-intensive and costly.
Enhancing biological processes through optimized microbial communities or bioaugmentation can improve the biodegradation of pharmaceuticals.
Public education campaigns can significantly reduce pharmaceutical contamination by encouraging proper disposal methods. Governments can also implement policies requiring pharmaceutical companies to develop environmentally friendly drug formulations and disposal guidelines.
As technology advances, integrating artificial intelligence and machine learning into wastewater treatment can optimize process conditions for better pharmaceutical removal. Additionally, developing new, more biodegradable pharmaceuticals could reduce environmental impacts.
Sewage treatment plants play a critical role in mitigating pharmaceutical pollution but are not entirely effective in removing all drug residues. Advanced technologies like AOPs, GAC, and ozonation show promise but require significant investment and operational changes. Addressing this issue demands a multi-faceted approach involving technological upgrades, regulatory policies, and public education.
Pharmaceuticals are chemically diverse and often resistant to biological degradation, making them challenging to eliminate using conventional treatment methods.
Residual pharmaceuticals can cause aquatic toxicity, disrupt endocrine systems in wildlife, and contribute to antibiotic resistance.
Advanced methods like granular activated carbon (GAC), ozonation, and advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have shown high efficiency in removing persistent drugs.
Properly disposing of unused medicines through take-back programs instead of flushing them down the drain can significantly reduce contamination.
Combining existing methods with low-cost upgrades like enhanced biological treatments or partial ozonation can improve efficiency without excessive costs.
