Removal of pharmaceuticals and personal care (PPCPs) by ecological filter

• Grant number: 12/21981-7
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: March 01, 2013
• End date: February 28, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Sanitary Engineering - Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment
• Principal Investigator: Eny Maria Vieira
• Grantee: Eny Maria Vieira
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química de São Carlos (IQSC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The increase in the contamination of water sources for public supply of Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care (PPCPs) and their frequent occurrence in the aquatic environment and drinking water has raised the question of its impact on the environment and public health. These compounds are a class of highly persistent environmental micropollutants in water and difficult to remove in conventional water treatment. Its chemical properties are persistent, high potential for bioaccumulation and low biodegradability may have adverse effects, these effects are, in most cases, unknown. Due to these various disturbing factors, it becomes necessary to develop new technologies and improvement of existing in the removal of these compounds during water treatment. The use of ecological filters represents a promising treatment technology because this does not require the application of chemicals, being a biological treatment process and natural water, as well as its efficiency in removal of found several compounds, including drugs. This study will be made small ecological filtration tanks, where both drugs predetermined as some personal care products are applied individually and together to test the removal efficiency of the compounds. For detection of the compounds will be used SPE-HPLC-DAD, and to identify the products generated from the degradation of the compounds applied will be used mass spectrometry. It will be also performed analysis of algal biomass formed in the filter to diagnose if the applied products that accumulate in biomass. A follow-up of biofilm formation of the tanks will also be held, as well as the identification and enumeration of algae and cyanobacteria that develop in the ecological filter. Considering these aspects, this study aims to: i) assess the potential removal of Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care (PPCPs) in environmental filters ii) quantify the levels of removal of PPCPs iii) identify the products formed in such a degradation; iv) conduct qualitative and quantitative analysis of algae and cyanobacteria that grow on ecological filter. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

POMPEI, C. M. E.; ALVES, E. D. L.; VIEIRA, E. M.; CAMPOS, L. C.. Impact of meteorological variables on water quality parameters of a reservoir and ecological filtration system. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, v. 17, n. 3, p. 1387-1396, MAR 2020. (12/21981-7, 11/21666-1)

ERBA POMPEI, CAROLINE MOCO; CAMPOS, LUIZA CINTRA; DA SILVA, BIANCA FERREIRA; FOGO, JOSE CARLOS; VIEIRA, ENY MARIA. Occurrence of PPCPs in a Brazilian water reservoir and their removal efficiency by ecological filtration. Chemosphere, v. 226, p. 210-219, JUL 2019. (11/21666-1, 12/21981-7, 08/10449-7)