Removal of anti-biotics from veterinary pharmaceutical wastewater using combined Electroflocculation and Fe-Zn loaded zeolite 5A based catalytic ozonation process

Abstract

The objective of the study is to reconnoiter the degradation of anti-biotics from real veterinary pharmaceutical wastewater using a combined Electroflocculation and catalytic ozonation process by implying for the first time Fe-Zn loaded zeolite 5A as a catalyst in a hybrid reactor. Doxycycline, Tylosin Tartrate, and Timlicosin Phosphate were identified in pharmaceutical wastewater and were selected as target antibiotics. BOD, COD, and turbidity are the major pollutant indicators in any type of wastewater; therefore, these were selected and influence by various parameters such as ozone flow (0.8–1.55 mg/min), catalyst dose (5–15 g/L), and DC volts (5–15 V) were studied. Moreover, degradation efficiencies of the Doxycycline, Tylosin Tartrate, and Timlicosin Phosphate were compared with single ozonation, Electroflocculation (EF), catalytic ozonation, and combined process (EF + Fe-Zn-zeolite 5A/O3). The results revealed that combined process (EF + Fe-Zn-zeolite 5A/O3) has highest elimination efficiency i.e., 41 %, 77 % and 79 % of the BOD, COD and Turbidity respectively at optimum parameters values of (DC volts = 10 V; ozone flow = 1.1 mg/min and catalyst dose = 10 g/L). Moreover, degradation of anti-biotics was also the highest in the case of the EF + Fe-Zn-zeolite 5A/O3 process and was 55 %, 57 %, and 99 % for Timlisoin Phosphate, Doxycycline, and Tylosin tartrate respectively in challenging wastewater. Based on the results of experimental work, it is established that the proposed combined process (EF + Fe-Zn-zeolite 5A/O3) is appropriate for the effective treatment of pharmaceutical wastewater.