Pharmaceuticals Removal in Hospital Wastwater and Effluent by Electro-Coagulation-Flotation

Hospital wastewater and effluents constitute a very complex water matrix. Except conventional pollutants such suspended solid and biochemical oxygen demand materials, they are also loaded with microorganisms, pharmaceuticals and some toxic chemicals. The direct discharge of these effluents into sewerage system, therefore, may lead to a potential risk to the environment. Electro-coagulation-flotation process has been used to treat many kinds of pollutants and it‘s complex mechanism may be also useful to treat the complex pollutants in hospital wastewater or effluents. This study tries to use electro-coagulation-flotation process to treat hospital wastewater and effluent. The properties of the wastewater and effluents from three hospitals and the effects of the types and arrangement of electrodes, types and concentrations of pharmaceuticals and the other parameters of solution such as pH, conductivities and temperatures on the performance of the process will be investigated in the first year. The combination effects of different kinds of pharmaceuticals, the addition of frother and the performance of the process for treating real hospital wastewater and effluent will be tested in the second year. Moreover, a continuous rector will be used to access the feasibility of using electro-coagulation-flotation process to treat the pharmaceuticals in hospital wastewater and effluents.