Aerobic treatment of pharmaceutical wastewater in a biological reactor

This study was designed a wastewater treatment plant with an aim at minimizing and/or removing of suspended solids, dissolved solids, nutrients, and toxic compounds, before it releases into a water body. A lab-scale batch type integrated aerobic biological treatment plant was constructed and operated for pharmaceutical wastewater treatment and its performance was evaluated. A cylindrical open tank was used as a reactor and passed air through the bottom of the tank. The maximum hydraulic retention time was 15 days. The treated water samples were collected every day and tested for its chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS), pH, conductivity, and total dissolved solids (TDS) to evaluate the efficiency of the plant. About 75% removal of COD was achieved employing hydraulic residence times of 15 days. The analyses results of the treated wastewater reveal that the parameters pH, BOD, COD, TSS, TDS and color were found within the prescribed permissible limits indicating the efficiency of the plant. The results of this study demonstrate the potential for air injection to accelerate the biological treatment process, with greatest influence on COD removal from the wastewater.