Achieving biodegradability enhancement and acute biotoxicity removal through the treatment of pharmaceutical wastewater using a combined internal electrolysis and ultrasonic irradiation technology

Actual pharmaceutical wastewater was treated using a combined ultrasonic irradiation (US) and iron/coke internal electrolysis (Fe/C) technology. A significant synergetic effect was observed, showing that ultrasonic irradiation dramatically enhanced the chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiencies by internal electrolysis. The effects of primary operating factors on COD removal were evaluated systematically. Higher ultrasonic frequency and lower pH values as well as longer reaction time were favorable to COD removal. The ratio of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and COD (B/C) of the wastewater increased from 0.21 to 0.32 after US-Fe/C treatment. An acute biotoxicity assay measuring the inhibition of bioluminescence indicated that the wastewater with overall toxicity of 4.3 mg-Zn²⁺·L⁻¹ was reduced to 0.5 mg-Zn²⁺·L⁻¹ after treatment. Both the raw and the treated wastewater samples were separated and identified. The types of compounds suggested that the increased biodegradability and reduced biotoxicity resulted mainly from the destruction of N,N-2 dimethyl formamide and aromatic compounds in the pharmaceutical wastewater.