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Demonstrating Advanced Oxidation Coupled with Biodegradation for Removal of Carbamazepine (WERF Report INFR6SG09)
Citation:
Linden, K., O. Keen, N. Love, AND D. Aga. Demonstrating Advanced Oxidation Coupled with Biodegradation for Removal of Carbamazepine (WERF Report INFR6SG09). Water Environment Research Foundation, Alexandria, VA, 2012.
Impact/Purpose:
This report: (1) demonstrates that advanced oxidation coupled with biodegradation mineralizes carbamazepine in wastewater; (2) indicates that persistent pharmaceuticals in wastewater effluent can be treated with a combination of chemical and biological oxidation, and (3) introduces a biodegradation protocol for assessing the biodegradability of synthetic organic compounds.
Description:
Carbamazepine is an anthropogenic pharmaceutical found in wastewater effluents that is quite resistant to removal by conventional wastewater treatment processes. Hydroxyl radical-based advanced oxidation processes can transform carbamazepine into degradation products but cannot mineralize it in an economically efficient manner. This study evaluated the combination of ultraviolet plus hydrogen peroxide (UV-H2O2)-based advanced oxidation and biodegradation to enable carbamazepine removal; specifically, to determine whether the products of the advanced oxidation of carbamazepine can be further biodegraded by activated sludge microbial communities. The fate of 14C–carbamazepine was followed through bench-scale advanced oxidation followed by biodegradation using liquid scintillation counting, and by liquid chromatography with either a mass spectrometric or a radiochemical detection. The results illustrate that carbamazepine oxidation products can be mineralized by activated sludge bacteria. This outcome suggests that combining advanced oxidation with a biologically active filtration treatment step can be effective for carbamazepine removal. This same treatment strategy should be evaluated for its effectiveness with other biologically recalcitrant organic micropollutants. Advanced oxidation followed by biodegradation may be a viable option for applying tertiary wastewater treatment to achieve trace contaminant removal. [NOTE: The link below connects to a WERF site where the Final Report can be downloaded for free, after registering at the WERF site. For some projects the Executive Summary is available and can be downloaded for free without registering on the WERF site.]
