Improving the control of pharmaceutical compounds in WWTPs through the addition of new waste-based activated carbons

Abstract

Pharmaceutical compounds (PhCs) are concerning the regulators and the general public because very little is known about their long-term and synergistic health-environmental effects. As some of these compounds are resistant to conventional wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) though prone to adsorption, the addition of powdered activated carbon (PAC) emerges as a low capital cost and efficient complementary barrier against PhCs in the treated water. This paper reports the potential application of a newly developed waste-derived PAC for PhC removal in conventional activated sludge WWTPs, during the secondary treatment. The results obtained show that a dose of 6 mg/L of PAC will assure > 80% removal of the three PhCs tested (diclofenac, carbamazepine and sulfamethoxazole).