Wet Air Oxidation of Difficult to Treat Pharmaceutical Waste Streams

Authors: Kumfer, Bryan; Lehmann, Dick

Source: Water Practice, Volume 2, Number 2, February 2008 , pp. 1-11(11)

Publisher: Water Environment Federation

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Abstract:

Wet air oxidation (WAO) is a technology that can be used to treat wastewaters from the pharmaceutical industry. A test program was carried out to determine the treatment of pharmaceutical wastewaters that had a high chemical oxygen demand (COD) and were poorly biodegradable. The testing included batch style bench scale testing, continuous flow pilot testing, and a biological treatment study of the WAO treated effluent. Several mixtures of up to 12 different wastewater streams were tested. Testing indicated that a COD reduction of the mixed wastewater of up to 71% can be achieved in the continuous flow system operating at 290 °C with a 90 minute time at temperature. COD reduction varied with different types of wastewaters. The effluents from the wet air oxidation system were generally biodegradable and could be further treated using a conventional biological treatment system. After bench scale biological treatment, the treated wastewater had a COD and BOD concentration of less than 500 mg/L and 50 mg/L, respectively.

Keywords: WET AIR OXIDATION; OXIDATION; PHARMACEUTICAL; WASTEWATER; BIODEGRADABILITY

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2175/193317708X293151

Publication date: 2008-02-01

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Water Practice™ publishes peer-reviewed articles and reports focusing on applied water studies. Topics include monitoring, facility operations and maintenance, management, policy, and other issues of interest and concern to water practitioners. The Journal publishes on a monthly to bi-monthly basis and is available online only.
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