Performance evaluation of ceramic and polymeric membrane application in hybrid system (membranes + O3/UV) for pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) removal from hospital wastewater

Abstract

This study investigates the suitability of a hybrid system combining membrane filtration and ozone oxidation for efficiently treating pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in hospital wastewater. Two feedstocks, untreated (F-1) and biologically treated wastewater (F-2), were used to determine the optimal system location for maximizing PPCPs reduction. F-2 application was found to be more effective based on the observed reaction rate constant, membrane performance, and structural transitions. The cleaning chemicals and foulant layer formation caused structural changes in both the PAN and α-Al2O3 membranes. Moreover, contact angle measurements confirmed that increased hydrophobicity induced contaminant attraction and decreased the membrane flux. Performance evaluation results revealed 77.87 % (PAN) and 74.13 % (α-Al2O3) reductions in total organic carbon from F-2. The decrease in membrane flux was observed in the following order: α-Al2O3 (F-1) > PAN (F-1) > PAN (F-2) > α- Al2O3 (F-2). Pseudo-first-order fitting confirmed that the degradation rate constants (k1) were higher under the F-2 exposure conditions. The order of degradation rate is carbamazepine > trimethoprim > atenolol > acetaminophen > sulfamethoxazole > caffeine. Analysis of degradation pathways and toxicity suggests that transformation products formed during membrane + O3/UV hybridized process are environmentally benign and do not pose significant health risks.