Hrvatske vode, Vol. 24 No. 96, 2016.
Review article
Pharmaceuticals and methods of treating wastewater from pharmaceutical industry
Stanka Zrnčević
orcid.org/0000-0002-8984-5944
; University of Zagreb, Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
The consumption of pharmaceuticals for human and veterinary uses shows an upward trend, as well as their release into the environment. Pharmaceuticals are found in discharges after wastewater treatment, in surface waters, soil and tap water. Although these concentrations are generally low, there is a growing concern about the possible long-term effects on humans and aquatic organisms due to a prolonged exposure to these compounds. The treatment of such water is very specific and complex, and regularly requires a combination of different treatment methods to render such water harmless and fulfil the legislative criteria for discharges into the environment.
The paper lists the sources and potential adverse effects of pharmaceuticals on the environment and includes data about the composition of wastewater generated in the production of pharmaceuticals in the process of chemical synthesis, with indications of exact phases in the process when they are generated. An overview of conventional and advanced treatment methods, including their advantages and shortcomings, is also provided.
Keywords
pharmaceuticals; micropollutants; wastewater; treatment processes
Hrčak ID:
160338
URI
Publication date:
27.6.2016.
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