Process Safety and Environmental Protection, Vol.130, 67-76, 2019
Integration of advanced oxidation and membrane filtration for removal of micropollutants of emerging concern
The aim of the work was the removal of diclofenac (DCF) and amoxicillin (AMX) pharmaceuticals by integrated methods of advanced oxidation and membrane filtration. The advanced oxidation process was carried out using UV/H2O2. Two polymer membranes, HL and NF270, were applied for the separation procedure. The effectiveness of the UV/H2O2 treatment, nanofiltration and the integrated processes was comparatively evaluated by monitoring the concentration of DCF/AMX and the removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total organic carbon (TOC). It was found that despite the complete disappearance of the tested compounds during advanced oxidation process the slight reduction of COD and TOC was observed. Moreover, the solution after UV/H2O2 treatment exhibited higher toxicity towards Vibrio fischeri than the initial solution, proving that the transformation by-products of DCF and AMX are more toxic than the parent compound. The nanofiltration process led to an almost complete removal of DCF and AMX from the solution. The integration of the two methods enabled both the chemical modification of tested compounds and the removal of their toxic oxidation products from the solution. (C) 2019 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Institution of Chemical Engineers.