Treatment of a landfill leachate containing compounds of pharmaceutical origin

Water Sci Technol. 2008;58(3):597-602. doi: 10.2166/wst.2008.700.

Abstract

Paper reports the results of landfill leachate treatment with membrane bioreactor, nanofiltration and ozonation. Investigated leachate encompasses a number of specific compounds of pharmaceutical origin, including a suite of by-products deriving from the production of vitamin C and propyphenazone. Low biodegradability was observed in MBR (16%) for propyphenazone, while the removal of intermediates from the vitamin C-synthesis was moderate, reaching 30% for diacetone sorbose (DAS) and 69% for diacetone alpha-keto-gulonic acid (DAG). Ozonation almost completely removed propyphenazone but failed to significantly oxidise intermediates from the vitamin C-synthesis. Nanofiltration of the leachate succeeded to remove 99% of DAG and 79% of propyphenazone which made it the most efficient among techniques used.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biodegradation, Environmental
  • Bioreactors*
  • Filtration / instrumentation
  • Filtration / methods
  • Membranes, Artificial
  • Ozone / chemistry
  • Pharmaceutical Preparations / chemistry
  • Pharmaceutical Preparations / isolation & purification*
  • Pharmaceutical Preparations / metabolism
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Waste Disposal, Fluid / instrumentation
  • Waste Disposal, Fluid / methods*
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical / chemistry
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical / isolation & purification*
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical / metabolism

Substances

  • Membranes, Artificial
  • Pharmaceutical Preparations
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical
  • Ozone