Pharmaceuticals removal using Membrane Bioreactor

(MBR) with Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP): A Novel

Hybrid Approach for Wastewater Treatment

Presented by:
MD JAHIM UDDIN SHORIF
Student ID: 202313530
Presented to:
Dr. Faizan Khan
Assistant Professor
Department of Bioengineering
King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM)

CE 548 (Biological Processes)

1
Table of
Contents
• Background
• Introduction
• Objectives
• Mechanism
• Antimicrobial Resistance
• Design Criteria
• Conclusion
• Reference

2
 Introduction
➢The ongoing advancement and intensified implementation of techniques in various
sectors, including cosmetology, healthcare, chemical industry, agriculture, provide a
significant global concern for water quality. As the variety of chemicals present in
wastewater increases, the composition of the wastewater matrix gets more intricate,
hence posing more challenges for wastewater treatment (Nurdillayeva et al., 2022).

➢The composition of wastewater typically exhibits regional variations, which can be

attributed to the diverse residential behaviors and industrial activity prevalent in a
given area. The presence of CECs for example naproxen (NPX) in various aquatic
environments including groundwater, sewage, surface water and drinking water, has
been linked to both significant and minor health hazards (Tang et al.,2014).

3
 Introduction
➢The current degrees of pharmaceutical substances entering, the levels of antibiotic
residues introduced into the environment are quite little, and it is not expected that
people would experience any immediate health consequences, it is essential to
consider the possible long-term accumulation among these compounds. The
existence of antibiotics in aquatic ecosystem can result in significant consequences,
such as the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains or ecological imbalances
(Borowska et al., 2015).
➢Pharmaceutical have the potential to exhibit endocrine and/or carcinogenic
disrupting properties, which can pose significant risks to the immune systems of living
organisms (Valhondo et al., 2019) .
➢Despite its effectiveness in removing biological oxygen demand (BOD), total
suspended solids (TSS), chemical oxygen demand (COD) and phosphates, the
selectivity of this method is limited. As a result, its ability to remove CECs remains
unknown (Ghodeif et al., 2013).
4
 Introduction
➢Typical membranes utilized in membrane bioreactors are fabricated using the phase
inversion approach. Nevertheless, achieving precise control over density, distribution
of pore size and membrane shape poses a significant challenge (Apel et al., 2001).
➢ Advanced oxidation process (AOP) combined with membrane bioreactor (MBR)
systems for various wastewater treatments, such as pharmaceutical effluent and
municipal wastewater, textile, and other chemical industries. The evaluation of
combined treatment systems yielded additional benefits, including savings in energy
consumption and costs for these systems. Furthermore, it has the potential to
augment and improve single water treatment systems (Rostam et al. 2020).

5
 Background
➢What is emerging contaminant?
• Emerging contaminants are pollutants that have been detected in the environment and may
pose a risk to human health and ecosystems but are not yet commonly monitored or
regulated.
• They include pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and various industrial chemicals

➢Sources of Emerging Contaminants

• These contaminants often originate from industrial, agricultural, and residential waste
streams
• Pharmaceuticals consumed by livestock and humans can enter water bodies through
excretion and surface runoff

6
 Objectives
❑To enhance the efficiency of removing pharmaceutical contaminants from
wastewater using a combination of MBR systems and AOPs.
❑To develop AOPs as a promising technique for treating pollutants with low
biodegradability and high chemical stability.
❑To generate environmentally benign byproducts such as CO2, inorganic compounds,
and water through the application of AOPs.

7
 Mechanism

The potential source routes of CECs 8

 Mechanism

(a) AOP as pre-treatment. (b) AOP as post-treatment

9
 Mechanism
➢Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) Function
• Combines biological degradation by microorganisms with membrane filtration to
decompose organic substances.
• Utilizes membranes to selectively separate particles, including microbes and
undegraded pollutants.
• Extended solid retention times, enhancing biodegradation efficiency
• Employs submerged membranes for filtering, retaining biomass and sediments while
allowing clean water to pass.
• Requires regular backwashing to minimize membrane fouling and maintain system
performance

10
 Mechanism
➢Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) Function
❑Sorption
Sorption is commonly defined as a physical and chemical phenomenon in which
one material adheres to solid phrase.
𝐶𝑠𝑜𝑟𝑏𝑒𝑑
Kd = 𝑋
𝑠𝑠 𝑆𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑏𝑙𝑒

Where,
Csorbed = sorbed compound (μg / L )
Xss = Concentration of suspended solids in untreated water (kg / L )
Ssoluble = The concentration of the soluble component of the compound (μg / L)
Kd = coefficient of solid water distribution ( L/kg)

11
 Mechanism
➢Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) Function
❑Biodegradation
Compounds are broken down by microorganisms in a process called biodegradation,
which is dependent on the redox conditions and microbial populations in the system and the
removal of PHAs from the sludge matrix.
𝑑𝐶
= KbiolXssSsoluble
𝑑𝑡

Where,
C = The concentration of the total compound (μg / L ),
Ssoluble = Soluble part concentration
Kbiol = pseudo 1st order rate constant (L / gss.day)
Xss = Suspended solid concentration (gss/L)
t = time (day)
12
 Mechanism
➢Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) Function
❑Volatilization or Stripping
of removing volatile compounds from wastewater treatment plants, whereas stripping involves
the removal of gaseous compounds. Stripping happens in the WWTP's aerobic section.
Bi,stripped = Ci,airqairQ = HCi,dissaerqQ

Where,
Bi,stripped = The overall amount of compound i that has been eliminated (μg / d)
Ci,air = The amount of compound i present in the gas phase (μg /Lair ),
Qair = aeration (Lair / L wastewater),
Q = flow rate (L / d )
H (μg Lair−1 / μg Lwastewater−1 )
13
 Mechanism
➢Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs) Function

Mechanisms of AOPs
14
 Mechanism
➢Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs) Function
• AOPs utilize hydroxyl radicals produced by the breakdown of hydrogen peroxide for
contaminant degradation
• Hydroxyl radicals are generated through chemical oxidation processes like O3,
O3/H2O2, and H2O2/Fe2+.
• Photocatalysis, such as TiO2/UV and photo-Fenton reactions, is employed to facilitate
photochemical degradation.
• AOPs operate under ambient temperature and pressure conditions, closely
resembling the surrounding environment.

15
 Antimicrobial Resistance
➢AMR occurs when microorganisms like bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites evolve to
resist the effects of medications, making standard treatments ineffective.
➢It leads to the survival and growth of resistant strains over those that are susceptible
to antibiotics
➢AMR complicates the treatment of infectious diseases, increasing the risk of disease
spread, severe illness, and death.
➢Emerging contaminants include pharmaceuticals and personal care products that can
accumulate in the environment and interact with microbial communities
➢Emerging contaminants can promote the development of antimicrobial resistance
(AMR) by increasing the prevalence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and resistant
bacteria

16
 Antimicrobial Resistance

Possible human transfer of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) 17

Antimicrobial Resistance

Development mechanism of AMR 18

 Antimicrobial Resistance
➢Causes of AMR
• Overuse and misuse of antibiotics in healthcare settings contribute to the
development of AMR
• Incorrect diagnoses and the influence of pharmaceutical companies can lead to
inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions
• The use of antibiotics in agriculture and animal husbandry can promote the
emergence of resistant strains

19
 Antimicrobial Resistance
➢AMR occurs when microorganisms like bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites evolve to
resist the effects of medications, making standard treatments ineffective.
➢It leads to the survival and growth of resistant strains over those that are susceptible
to antibiotics
➢AMR complicates the treatment of infectious diseases, increasing the risk of disease
spread, severe illness, and death.
➢Emerging contaminants include pharmaceuticals and personal care products that can
accumulate in the environment and interact with microbial communities
➢Emerging contaminants can promote the development of antimicrobial resistance
(AMR) by increasing the prevalence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and resistant
bacteria

20
 Design Criteria

Design Parameter Design Limit Units

Flowrate 20-2000 m³/day

Treatment Time 24 hours

Energy Requirements 0.25 kWh/m³

Temperature 25 Degree celcius

21
 Design Criteria

Treatment efficiency of different pollutant

Pollutant Removal efficiency (%)

Acetaminophen 100

Naproxen 85

Roxithromycin 81

Sulfamethoxazole 64

Trimethoprim 94

Ibuprofen 90

22
 Design Criteria
➢Advantages

• Typically exhibit higher removal efficiency for pharmaceutical

contaminants when compared to conventional methods.
• A smaller footprint contributes positively to environmental protection.
• More consistent and reliable treatment outcomes.
• Generation of low sludge in a process helps mitigate waste management
challenges.
• High efficiency

23
 Design Criteria
➢Disadvantages

• Presence of a large biomass concentration results in increased oxygen

consumption in the system.
• Maintenance and operating costs are higher.
• Accumulation of sludge cake on membrane surface has the potential to
impede system performance.

24
 Conclusion
• The system effectively removes a broad spectrum of contaminants while maintaining
a smaller environmental footprint.
• Sorption plays a key role in the binding of organic pollutants, with hydrophobic
contaminants showing a higher tendency to be adsorbed
• The sorption process is influenced by the solid-water distribution coefficient (Kd) and
the concentration of suspended solids
• Volatilization is significant for compounds with high Henry coefficients, aiding in their
removal
• Advanced processes like AOPs along with MBR, enhance contaminant removal
efficiency.

25
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THANK YOU!
Does anyone have any questions?