Pharmaceutically Active Compounds in Wastewater Treatment Plants

Abstract

Emerging organic contaminants are one of the main threats to the environment and society. The primary source of these contaminants in the environment is wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) that cannot eliminate all of these compounds. Pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) deserve special attention as new substances are constantly being developed, and the number of these compounds that reach consumers is increasing. The consequences of PhACs to human health are not yet subjected to regulatory criteria or norms; nevertheless, chronic toxicity in biodiversity has already been reported. In response to global environmental concerns, there has been increasing interest in sustainable solutions to remove these compounds from effluent in WWTPs. Electrochemical technologies developed for effluent treatment were designed to promote PhAC degradation and safe effluent discharge. Understanding the relationship between different anode characteristics and electrochemical oxidation performance is essential for developing a cost‐efficient technology to remove contaminants from wastewater. In this context, the performance of graphite and platinized electrodes were compared in the electrochemical oxidation of selected emerging organic contaminants in a recirculating flow reactor.