Yang et al. (2016) evaluated the efficiency of pharmaceuticals and personal care
products degradation through ultraviolet/chlorine treatment using natural water
samples and compared the results with an ultraviolet/hydrogen peroxide system.
The combined ultraviolet/chlorine notably enhanced triclosan degradation. However, by-product formations are always a concern when chlorine is used, and some
studies indicate the formation of toxic chlorinated by-products, such as chloroform,
trichloronitromethane, haloketone, and chloral hydrate (Yang et al. 2016).
Coupling with Other Treatment Processes
The most studied cases in the literature reveal that conventional wastewater treatment plants are not designed for pharmaceuticals and personal care products
removal. Thus, the application of physical and biological technologies
(Table 10.2) is required in order to remove large insoluble particles, improving the
aqueous matrix, and, consequently, the degradation efficiency of combined
advanced oxidation processes (Oller et al. 2011). Wert et al. (2011) improved the
pharmaceuticals and personal care products ozonation applying coagulation with
ferric chloride as pretreatment. Enhanced coagulation using FeCl 3 reduced dissolved
organic carbon concentrations (10–47%) in the wastewater. However, the results of
the contaminant determination showed a low removal efficiency by this methodology. On the other hand, during the ozonation reactions, the most of pharmaceuticals
and personal care products were completely removed, including triclosan.
Hernández-Leal et al. (2011) studied ozonation and adsorption onto activated carbon
processes for pharmaceuticals and personal care products removal from aerobiological treated graywater. The authors indicate that the contaminants were effectively
removed from biologically treated graywater by ozone. Particularly, triclosan was
present at 48 ng L
À1 and was removed to below the limit of quantification of
7 ng L
À1 at an applied ozone concentration of 10 mg L
À1 .
10.3.2 Pharmaceutical Compounds Degradation
Published literature on the removal of pharmaceuticals compounds from water by
advanced oxidation processes has been extensively reported, in particular for each
selected compound separately, such as reviews on carbamazepine (Mohapatra et al.
2014), ibuprofen (Boreen et al. 2003), and diclofenac (Ziylan and Ince 2011)
degradation. Additionally, real wastewaters are complex matrices contaminated
with several pharmaceuticals compounds. Thus, this section focuses on a thorough
research regarding advanced oxidation processes degradation for mixed selected
pharmaceutical compounds in these polluted waters (Table 10.3).
10 Pharmaceutical and Personal Care Products in the Aquatic Environment and. . .
319
products degradation through ultraviolet/chlorine treatment using natural water
samples and compared the results with an ultraviolet/hydrogen peroxide system.
The combined ultraviolet/chlorine notably enhanced triclosan degradation. However, by-product formations are always a concern when chlorine is used, and some
studies indicate the formation of toxic chlorinated by-products, such as chloroform,
trichloronitromethane, haloketone, and chloral hydrate (Yang et al. 2016).
Coupling with Other Treatment Processes
The most studied cases in the literature reveal that conventional wastewater treatment plants are not designed for pharmaceuticals and personal care products
removal. Thus, the application of physical and biological technologies
(Table 10.2) is required in order to remove large insoluble particles, improving the
aqueous matrix, and, consequently, the degradation efficiency of combined
advanced oxidation processes (Oller et al. 2011). Wert et al. (2011) improved the
pharmaceuticals and personal care products ozonation applying coagulation with
ferric chloride as pretreatment. Enhanced coagulation using FeCl 3 reduced dissolved
organic carbon concentrations (10–47%) in the wastewater. However, the results of
the contaminant determination showed a low removal efficiency by this methodology. On the other hand, during the ozonation reactions, the most of pharmaceuticals
and personal care products were completely removed, including triclosan.
Hernández-Leal et al. (2011) studied ozonation and adsorption onto activated carbon
processes for pharmaceuticals and personal care products removal from aerobiological treated graywater. The authors indicate that the contaminants were effectively
removed from biologically treated graywater by ozone. Particularly, triclosan was
present at 48 ng L
À1 and was removed to below the limit of quantification of
7 ng L
À1 at an applied ozone concentration of 10 mg L
À1 .
10.3.2 Pharmaceutical Compounds Degradation
Published literature on the removal of pharmaceuticals compounds from water by
advanced oxidation processes has been extensively reported, in particular for each
selected compound separately, such as reviews on carbamazepine (Mohapatra et al.
2014), ibuprofen (Boreen et al. 2003), and diclofenac (Ziylan and Ince 2011)
degradation. Additionally, real wastewaters are complex matrices contaminated
with several pharmaceuticals compounds. Thus, this section focuses on a thorough
research regarding advanced oxidation processes degradation for mixed selected
pharmaceutical compounds in these polluted waters (Table 10.3).
10 Pharmaceutical and Personal Care Products in the Aquatic Environment and. . .
319