Removal of hospital wastewater using electrochemical treatment methods

Depending on the growing population, the use of medicinal substances, especially antibiotics, and their sustained release are becoming important for ecological balance. Although antibiotics are distributed in the aquatic ecosystem at low concentrations such as ng L-1 to μg L-1. Antibiotics can not be removed from the water or wastewater environment by traditional wastewater treatment processes and which are persistent pollutants in aquatic environments. For these reasons, it can be said that the potential hazard of drug substance residues in the environment has become a worrisome environmental problem for the future. Hydroxyl intermediates formed by electrochemical processes; resistant, toxic or non-biodegradable contaminants to the by-product or even the end products. In this study, electrochemical treatment of hospital wastewater which contains cefazolin (CFZ) was evaluated by using a batch electrode system formed by using boron-doped diamond (BDD) anode and stainless steel cathode materials. In the electrochemical studies carried out different current density, initial pH values and different concentrations of supporting electrolyte (Na2SO4) were investigated the effect on the removal of COD and CFZ active substance were investigated parametrically. As a result, it was determined that ideal conditions for electrochemical removal of COD and CFZ from wastewater of two state hospitals which are operating in Eskişehir were provided at 20 mA/cm2 current density, discharge pH values, and 0.05 M Na2SO4 support electrolyte addition. High COD removal efficiency has been achieved with electrochemical treatment processes. It was also determined that the amount of cefazolin active substance in the wastewater was reduced and completely eliminated by the LC/MS analysis performed under ideal electrochemical treatment conditions depending on the time. As a result of the studies carried out, it is foreseen that hospital discharges can be treated with pilot scale electrochemical systems and only a sustainable system can be obtained with on-site treatment. Keywords: Boron doped diamond (BDD), Cefazolin sodium, Electrochemical treatment, Hospital wastewater, LC/MS