High content of low molecular weight organics does not always affect pharmaceutical adsorption on activated carbon: The case of acetate, propionate and ethanol in source-separated urine.

ABSTRACT: Adsorption on activated carbon is a common process to remove pharmaceuticals in wastewater treatment. Activated carbon adsorption is usually applied to wastewater with a low content of biological degradable organics, i.e. after biological treatment. Especially low molecular weight (LMW) compounds are known to compete with pharmaceuticals for adsorption sites. The goal of this study was to test the hypothesis that biological treatment is necessary for efficient pharmaceutical removal. Source-separated urine after anaerobic storage (anaerobically stored urine) and after aerobic biological removal of organics without nitrification (organics-depleted urine) were used in this study. In anaerobically stored urine 60% of the organic compounds were LMW organics, of which about 40% were acetate and

SUBMITTER: Heusser A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10719575 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature