Quantitative removal of pharmaceutical compounds from water is an increasing problem facing water utilities today. Insufficient remediation of these compounds may lead to proliferation of antibiotic resistant bacteria or increased allergen concerns in the public. Radical-based advanced oxidation and reduction processes (AO/RPs) offer an alternative to traditional methods in quantitative removal of these compounds. This study investigates the applicability of using sulfate radical based oxidation of pharmaceuticals in their quantitative removal from water. Specifically, the influence of dissolved organic matter (DOM) as a scavenger of oxidative species was investigated, because organic compounds interact with the DOM macromolecule which may retard the remediation abilities of radical-based AOPs. Kinetic competition studies were performed between the sulfate radical, the antibiotic penicillin-G, and endocrine disrupting estrogenic steroids and DOM. Based on measured rate constants, the average equilibrium constant of association between penicillin-G and DOM was found to be 128.1 � 13.8 and the average association constant between the estrogenic steroids was found to be on the order of 103 using a Langmuir adsorption model. The measured values of the equilibrium constants imply weak adsorption of penicillin-G, but strong adsorption of the mostly hydrophobic estrogenic steroids. These findings indicate that the use of sulfate radical oxidation may prove to be an efficient method for the remediation of antibiotics in waters.

Sulfate radical remediation of antibiotics and estrogenic steroids in DOM-containing wastewaters

248th National Meeting (2014)

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