How Aeration Helps Remove Pharmaceuticals During Wastewater Treatment

Among the many contaminants found in industrial and commercial wastewater, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) can be some of the most challenging, both in terms of environmental impact and removal difficulty. APIs are commonly found in effluent from pharmaceutical manufacturing, large-scale livestock operations, hospitals, cosmetics and personal care product manufacturing, and many more. While there are many wastewater treatment technologies that can mitigate APIs, studies show that those utilizing aeration processes are among the most effective.

Aeration helps overcome oxygen limitations in biological treatment systems, accelerating API breakdown and reducing environmental toxicity. They do this by enhancing oxidative biodegradation.

For example, in nature-based systems like constructed wetlands (CWs), the filter beds are often permanently waterlogged, resulting in near-zero dissolved oxygen levels. Aeration introduces oxygen into the subsurface of these systems, which stimulates oxidative processes that are essential for breaking down pharmaceuticals with a high biodegradation potential.

Research shows that aerated systems have demonstrated removal efficiencies of more than 83% for certain APIs, including acetaminophen, diclofenac, ketoprofen, bezafibrate, and gemfibrozil. However, while highly effective for biodegradable drugs, aeration has less impact on non-biodegradable compounds, such as carbamazepine and lorazepam. These compounds often require media adsorption.