Performance Evaluation and Parameter Optimization of Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) along with Electrocoagulation for Removal of Azithromycin

Abstract

Antibiotics from hospital discharge wastewater are known to be one of the most significant water contaminants. Environmental researchers suggest the attainment of effective and biological approaches for the elimination of these contaminants. This work aims to study the efficiency of an azithromycin (AZX) removal using moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) combined with electrocoagulation and parameters optimization using a response surface methodology for hospital wastewater (RSM), i.e., MLSS (A), pH (B), HRT (C) and Electrode distance (D). The present research was conducted using PVC gel on a pilot scale for removing a detergent from the wastewater of hospital reactors with continuous hydraulic flux. The impact on the device concentration of independent variables, including duration of touch, percentage of the media, and the concentrations of 1200-3200 mg/l of mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS). Closed laboratory procedure for measuring AZX concentration, azithromycin (AZX), and chemical oxygen requirement (COD) 1500-2400 mg/l is used. The findings showed that AZX and COD with PVC gel retention times are 92.3 and 95.8 percent, respectively, of 24 hours, with an MLSS concentration of approximately 3,200 mg/l. It was shown that the MBBR device has great productivity in detergent deletion from hospital waste wastewater as a bio-friendly compatible process and can produce regular performance effluents at an appropriate period. The experiment was performed using an electrochemical process, electrolysis with independently variable electrical electrodes, i.e., voltage, duration of touch, and electrolyte concentration. The complete process was optimized for the said reaction using Design-Expert software. The response surface method was used to optimize the operational parameters and show that a contact period of 35 minutes, voltage 12 V, electrolyte concentration of 0.35 M with electrode distance 1.25 cms gives 89% removal efficiency. The model for the three variables recommended by the response surface is a quadratic response.