The objective of this study has been to develop technologies that can reduce the content of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and bacteria from hospital wastewater. The results from the laboratory- and pilot-scale testings showed that efficient removal of the vast majority of APIs could be achieved by a membrane bioreactor (MBR) followed by ozone, ozone + hydrogen peroxide or powdered activated carbon (PAC). Chlorine dioxide (ClO2) was significantly less effective. MBR + PAC (450 mg/l) was the most efficient technology, while the most cost-efficient technology was MBR + ozone (156 mg O3/l applied over 20 min). With MBR an efficient removal of Escherichia coli and enterococci was measured, and no antibiotic resistant bacteria were detected in the effluent. With MBR + ozone and MBR + PAC also the measured effluent concentrations of APIs (e.g. ciprofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole and sulfamethizole) were below available predicted no-effect concentrations (PNEC) for the marine environment without dilution. Iodinated contrast media were also reduced significantly (80–99% for iohexol, iopromide and ioversol and 40–99% for amidotrizoateacid). A full-scale MBR treatment plant with ozone at a hospital with 900 beds is estimated to require an investment cost of €1.6 mill. and an operating cost of €1/m3 of treated water.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
Research Article|
February 01 2013
Removal of APIs and bacteria from hospital wastewater by MBR plus O3, O3 + H2O2, PAC or ClO2
U. Nielsen;
1DHI, Urban & Industry, Agern Allé 5 DK-2970 Hørsholm, Denmark
E-mail: uln@dhigroup.com
Search for other works by this author on:
C. Hastrup;
C. Hastrup
1DHI, Urban & Industry, Agern Allé 5 DK-2970 Hørsholm, Denmark
Search for other works by this author on:
M. M. Klausen;
M. M. Klausen
1DHI, Urban & Industry, Agern Allé 5 DK-2970 Hørsholm, Denmark
Search for other works by this author on:
B. M. Pedersen;
B. M. Pedersen
1DHI, Urban & Industry, Agern Allé 5 DK-2970 Hørsholm, Denmark
Search for other works by this author on:
G. H. Kristensen;
G. H. Kristensen
1DHI, Urban & Industry, Agern Allé 5 DK-2970 Hørsholm, Denmark
Search for other works by this author on:
J. L. C. Jansen;
J. L. C. Jansen
2Water and Environmental Engineering, Dept of Chemical Engineering, Lund University, P.O. Box 124, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden
Search for other works by this author on:
S. N. Bak;
S. N. Bak
3Grundfos Biobooster A/S, Randersvej 22a, DK8870 Langaa, Denmark
Search for other works by this author on:
J. Tuerk
J. Tuerk
4Research Analysis, Institute of Energy and Environmental Technology (IUTA), Bliersheimer Str. 60, D-47229 Duisburg, Germany
Search for other works by this author on:
Water Sci Technol (2013) 67 (4): 854–862.
Article history
Received:
July 30 2012
Accepted:
October 03 2012
Citation
U. Nielsen, C. Hastrup, M. M. Klausen, B. M. Pedersen, G. H. Kristensen, J. L. C. Jansen, S. N. Bak, J. Tuerk; Removal of APIs and bacteria from hospital wastewater by MBR plus O3, O3 + H2O2, PAC or ClO2. Water Sci Technol 1 February 2013; 67 (4): 854–862. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2012.645
Download citation file:
Sign in
Don't already have an account? Register
Client Account
You could not be signed in. Please check your email address / username and password and try again.
Impact Factor 2.430
CiteScore 3.4 • Q2
13 days submission to first
decision
1,439,880 downloads in 2021
189
Views
55
Citations