Integrated Ozone-Fenton Treatment – A Breakthrough in Pharmaceutical Wastewater Purification

The growing pharmaceutical industry has increased the production of wastewater containing pollutants that are resistant to conventional treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an integrated advanced oxidation process (AOP) combining ozonation and Fenton oxidation for treating pharmaceutical wastewater. The objective was to determine whether this combined approach could achieve higher removal efficiencies for key pollutants, including turbidity, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and total organic carbon (TOC), compared to individual processes. The research involved applying ozonation and Fenton oxidation, both separately and in combination, to wastewater samples. The study identified the optimal conditions for the integrated treatment by adjusting the concentrations of Fenton reagents and the duration of ozone exposure. The effectiveness of the treatment was assessed based on the removal efficiencies of turbidity, BOD, COD, and TOC. The results demonstrated that the combined ozone-Fenton process was highly effective, achieving removal efficiencies of 98.74% for turbidity, 96% for BOD, 99.56% for COD, and 96.63% for TOC. These findings highlight the potential of this combined AOP as a promising approach for improving the degradation of pollutants in pharmaceutical wastewater. However, the study’s limitations include the need for further research to optimize the process for different wastewater types and to evaluate its long-term environmental impact and cost-effectiveness. The study’s practical value lies in its potential industrial application, providing a more effective alternative to conventional treatment methods. The originality of the research is in systematically exploring the synergistic effects of combining ozonation and Fenton oxidation, contributing to advanced wastewater treatment development.