Degradation of Antibiotic Vancomycin by UV Photolysis and Pulsed Corona Discharge Combined with Extrinsic Oxidants

Antibiotics are the most frequently detected pharmaceuticals in the environment creating conditions for the development of resistant genes in bacteria. Degradation and mineralization of glycopeptide antibiotic vancomycin (VMN) were examined by UV photolysis, pulsed corona discharge (PCD), and their combinations with extrinsic oxidants, hydrogen peroxide (HP), peroxydisulfate (PDS), and peroxymonosulfate (PMS). Both combinations were effective in VMN degradation and faster at pH 11 than in acidic or neutral media. Combined with the UV photolysis, HP showed a higher oxidation rate than other oxidants, whereas PMS and PDS proved to be more efficient in combinations with PCD. In contrast to low-to-moderate mineralization of VMN in the UV/oxidant combinations, PCD and PCD/oxidant combinations appeared to be more effective, reaching up to 90% of TOC removal in acidic/neutral solutions. Application of extrinsic oxidants resulted in an energy efficiency of VMN 90% oxidation improved from 36 to 61 g kW−1 h−1 in HP-assisted photolysis, and from 195 to 250 g kW−1 h−1 in PCD with additions of HP and PDS, thus showing the promising character of the combined treatment.peerReviewe

OXIDATION OF AQUEOUS PHARMACEUTICALS WITH PERSULFATE ACTIVATED BY NON-THERMAL PLASMA

The oxidation of antibiotic vancomycin (VAN), antidiabetic metformin (MET), and anti-inflammatory dexamethasone (DEX) was studied using a combined pulsed corona discharge (PCD) and persulfate (PS) system. The effect of the dose of persulfate on the degradation rate, the degree of mineralization, and the energy efficiency of the target pharmaceuticals oxidation was evaluated. Irrespective of the target compound studied, the addition of moderate persulfate doses resulted in a noticeable improvement in oxidation efficiency compared to non-assisted PCD process. For all pharmaceuticals examined, with minor exception for DEX showing negligible improvement, an increase of the dose of persulfate in the PCD/PS combination resulted in a substantial increase in the observed degradation rate. The findings of this study strongly suggest that the combined PCD/PS oxidation is a promising treatment technology for water purification from aqueous pharmaceutical contamination

Persulfate-based photodegradation of a beta-lactam antibiotic amoxicillin in various water matrices

<p>Amoxicillin (AMX), a widely used beta-lactam antibiotic, belongs to the World Health Organization’s list of essential medicines. This subsequently causes its long-term presence in the environment and therefore, affects different environmental compartments. In this research, the degradation and mineralisation of AMX by UVC-activated persulfate-based treatment in various aqueous media was assessed. The degradation of the target compound was in accordance with the pseudo-first-order reaction kinetics in all the UVC-induced systems. The results indicated that AMX degradation in any real water matrices is notably inhibited by the matrix properties. The trials with radical scavengers in ultrapure water proved the existence of and HO^., but mainly contributed to the degradation of AMX in the UVC/ and UVC//Fe²⁺ systems. It was shown that the parent compound disappeared during the treatment, but the mineralisation extent referred to the formation of transformation products the main of which were identified. The findings of this study could provide valuable information about the elimination of beta-lactam antibiotics from various environmental and processed waters.</p

The chemical and microbiological assessment of water and soil samples. Report number 1

Raportti ilmestynyt Interreg Baltic Sea Region rahoittamassa hankkeessa VillageWatersThe aim of this work was to make an enviro-hygienic (chemical and microbiological) assess-ment for the waste water treatment systems In the VillageWaters-project partner countries. There are different pilots where the technological changes will be conducted during the project. There are two in two in Estonia (Kolgaküla and Valkla), two in Finland (Gennarby and Nurmijärvi), two in Latvia (Svētciems and Ainaži), one Lithuania (Leitgiriai) and two in Poland (Krynica-Zdrój and Sokoly). The pollution of untreated wastewater flowing into the Gennarby, Finland wastewater treatment plant has been assessed by identifying the BOD7, pH value and concentrations of suspended materials, phosphorus and nitrogen. Accordingly, the present purification rates seem to meet reasonably the requirements set for the small communities of the scattered dwellings. Removal of organic matter (BOD ) exceeds the requirement. Reduction of total nitrogen is slightly below the required level. Reduction of total phosphorus is significantly lower than the requirement. The second pilot plant is located in southern Finland, Nurmijärvi. The results show that treatment of the sewage yields to almost 97% reduction in total phosphorus and nearly 79% reduction in total nitrogen. This indicates the efficiency of soil filtration system in the removal of nutrients and reduction of eutrophic waste reduction in natural waters. The pollution of untreated wastewater flowing into the Leitgiriai, Lithuania wastewater treatment plant has been assessed by identifying the BOD7, pH value and concentrations of suspended materials, phosphorus and nitrogen. The results have shown that during the treatment process the wastewater is treated inefficiently and vary: submerged materials 29–47%, biochemical oxygen consumption in 7 days (BOD7 ) - 88 -95%, it means that the BDS7 value in the released wastewater is higher than that in the inflowing wastewater; total nitrogen (Nt) –4 - 46%, total phosphorus (Pt) 2- 86 %. During the assessment it was found that the treatment of total nitrogen and ammonium nitrogen has changed the most (%). It was found that the values of nitrate nitrogen, total nitrogen, electrical conductivity were statistically significantly higher 500 m after the wastewater discharger than 100 m before the wastewater discharger. The differences between the ammonium nitrogen and total phosphorus concentrations were not significant. The pollution of untreated wastewater flowing into the Idźki-Wykno village, Sokoly, Poland wastewater treatment plant has been assessed by identifying the BOD7, pH value and concentrations of suspended materials, phosphorus and nitrogen. The suspended solids have been reduced by nearly 90%, the BOD5 has been reduced by nearly 86% and the amount of wastewater was less than 5 m3/day, so all condition contained in the Polish “Regulation of the Minister of the Environment from 18 November 2014 on the conditions to be met for the discharge of sewage into water or soil and on substances particularly harmful for the water environment " have been met. The results have shown that during the treatment process the wastewater is treated efficiently. The efficiency of natural individual domestic wastewater treatment plant in Idźki-Wykno village in Poland is similar to efficiency of wastewater treatment plant in Gennarby in Finland.. The second pilot domestic wastewater treatment plants are located in the village of Słotwiny in the municipality of Krynica-Zdrój It is a mountain region in the south of Poland. Comparing the quality of untreated wastewater coming from household in Sokoły municipality and Krynica-Zdrój municipality you can notice that wastewater coming from household in Krynica-Zdrój is less polluted then wastewater coming from Sokoły municipality. Certainly, it depends on many factors. The wastewater is treated sufficiently ac-cording to BOD5 and suspended solids. The requirements contained in Regulation of the Minister of the Environment from 18 November 2014 are fulfilled.201