The oxidation of four selected pharmaceuticals (the beta-blocker metoprolol, the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory naproxen, the antibiotic amoxicillin, and the analgesic phenacetin) in ultra-pure water and in some water matrices was studied by using ozone alone, and ozone combined with H2O2, TiO2, Fe(II), and Fe(III). These water matrices were reservoir water, a groundwater, and two secondary effluents from two municipal WWTP. It was obtained that the degradation rate followed the sequence: amoxicillin > naproxen > metoprolol > phenacetin. The results revealed that the presence of any second oxidant enhanced the oxidation rates, with the system O3/TiO2 providing the highest degradation rates. Lower rates were obtained with the pharmaceuticals dissolved in the secondary effluents due to the organic matter present which consume some amounts of the oxidant agents. Some by-products formed in the ozonation process were identified by HPLC-MS.

Removal of selected pharmaceuticals in water matrices by ozone based treatments and by-products formation

244th National Meeting (2012)

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