Photochemical contribution of reactive species on the degradation of organic pollu...
| Grant number: | 16/03695-8 |
| Support type: | Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctorate |
| Effective date (Start): | February 01, 2017 |
| Effective date (End): | January 31, 2019 |
| Field of knowledge: | Engineering - Chemical Engineering - Chemical Process Industries |
| Cooperation agreement: | Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) |
| Principal Investigator: | Antonio Carlos Silva Costa Teixeira |
| Grantee: | Arlen Mabel Lastre Acosta |
| Home Institution: | Escola Politécnica (EP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil |
| Associated research grant: | 13/50218-2 - CEPEMA - Cooperative Center of Environmental Engineering, AP.TEM |
Abstract The potential impacts of antibiotic residues in the environment have become an emerging concern in recent years due to their relation with the development of resistant bacteria, and in some cases to their ability to cause toxic and endocrine disrupting effects in humans and other living organisms. Highlighted among the commonly used antibiotics are the sulfonamides and fluoroquinolones. Sulfonamides have been detected in groundwater and surface water in concentrations ranging from 0.07 to 0.15 ¼g L-1 (Wei et al., 2011). In turn, extraordinarily high concentrations of fluoroquinolones like ciprofloxacin (6.5 mg L-1), cetirizine (1.2 mg L-1), norfloxacin (0.52 mg L-1), and enoxacin (0.16 mg L-1) associated with pharmaceutical production, have been detected in lakes in India (Fick et al., 2009). Conventional water and wastewater treatment processes are considered inefficient for antibiotics removal. In addition, little is known about the degradation of these pharmaceuticals in the environment. In this context, the aims of this project are: (i) To investigate the degradation of sulfadiazine and enoxacin in surface water, as a result of solar-driven photochemical reactions with intermediate reactive species; and (ii) To study treatment processes based on ozone and ozone combined with a membrane bioreactor (MBR-O3) for the degradation of these antibiotics in water matrices of industrial concern; in this case, polymeric membranes modified with clay nanoparticles will be investigated. It is noteworthy that very few literature references are found about both subjects. Therefore, the project aims to bring original scientific and technological contributions in the context of growing concern over the quality of water resources, in which wastewater treatment for water reuse has been gaining importance. (AU) | |