title: Behavior of pharmaceuticals in UV photoreactors fed with sewage treated by anaerobic/aerobic system.
abstract: This work has assessed the seasonal changes and the dynamics in the concentration of six pharmaceutical compounds during photolysis as a tertiary treatment of sewage previously treated by an anaerobic/aerobic system comprising a UASB (Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket) reactor and a trickling filter (TF). The target compounds were four antibiotics (ciprofloxacin (CPF), clindamycin (CLM), sulfamethoxazole (SMX), and trimetoprim), one β-blocker (atenolol), and one anti-inflammatory (diclofenac (DCF)). Six hydraulic retention times (HRTs) were evaluated (5, 10, 20, 40, 80, and 160 min) with the intent of varying the ultraviolet C (UVC) radiation doses applied to the effluent from biological treatment containing the target contaminants. The concentrations of pharmaceutical compounds in the effluent of the UASB/TF system were in agreement with the concentration levels reported in the literature. Aside from DCF, the seasonality seems to be a preponderant characteristic regarding the pharmaceutical concentration found in the effluent of biological treatment systems. The radiation dose of 117 mJ cm-2seemed to be most suited for the photolysis application to tertiary treatment of domestic effluents. It was observed that lower UVC doses led to deconjugation of pharmaceuticals, which can result in increased concentrations of target pollutants in the photoreactor effluent.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering , Federal University of Minas Gerais , Belo Horizonte , Brazil.
authors.forename: Bruna Coelho
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6673-0191
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Lopes
authors.affiliation: a Department of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering , Federal University of Minas Gerais , Belo Horizonte , Brazil.
authors.forename: Ananda Lima
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6784-6321
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Sanson
authors.affiliation: a Department of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering , Federal University of Minas Gerais , Belo Horizonte , Brazil.
authors.forename: Sérgio Francisco de
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6058-3218
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Aquino
authors.affiliation: a Department of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering , Federal University of Minas Gerais , Belo Horizonte , Brazil.
authors.forename: Cláudio
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3560-3488
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Leite de Souza
authors.affiliation: a Department of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering , Federal University of Minas Gerais , Belo Horizonte , Brazil.
authors.forename: Carlos Augusto de Lemos
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7226-8266
authors.initials: CAL
authors.lastname: Chernicharo
authors.affiliation: b Department of Chemistry , Federal University of Ouro Preto , Ouro Preto , Brazil.
authors.forename: Robson José de Cássia Franco
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1940-3304
authors.initials: RJCF
authors.lastname: Afonso
mesh_terms: D019149:Bioreactors; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000737:chemistry*; D012722:Sewage; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000737:chemistry*; D018508:Water Purification
chemical_list: D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D012722:Sewage; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Tertiary treatment; UV radiation; antibiotics; pharmaceutical compounds; sewage