Simultaneous elimination of multiple pharmaceuticals in real wastewater effluent using a commercial zeolite and peroxymonosulfate

The combination of a commercial zeolite A (ZA, an affordable and highly available material) with peroxymonosulfate (PMS, at μmol L −1 levels) for treating several organic pollutants in water was explored herein. Firstly, the ability of the PMS/ZA combination to degrade three model compounds in distilled water, to understand the fundamental aspects of action routes, was tested. It was found the participation of adsorption on ZA, oxidation by PMS, plus the generation and action of 1 O 2 . After evaluating the model substances, the treatment of actual effluent from a municipal wastewater plant (EMWTP) was studied. The EMWTP contained eighteen relevant pharmaceuticals, whose environmental risk (employing the parameters of occurrence, bioaccumulation potential, and quotient risk for the mixture) was initially assessed. Afterward, the treatment of the EMWTP was studied, paying attention to the removal of target pharmaceuticals, color, and phytoxicity. The adsorption of the pharmaceuticals on the ZA alone led to a moderate removal due to its hydrophilic nature and low surface area. Also, PMS induced direct oxidation of some pharmaceuticals having highly reactive moieties (e.g., reduced forms of nitrogen and sulfur and activated benzene rings). In turn, the PMS/ZA system was very efficient for the elimination of most target pharmaceuticals. Also, this combined system led to the color removal and decreased phytotoxicity of the treated EMWTP. The results from this research revealed the high feasibility of the process based on accessible zeolites and PMS for the effective degradation of relevant organic pollutants and mitigation of environmental risks in actual wastewater effluents. • Non-treated pollutants had high hazards according to environmental risk assessment. • 18 pharmaceuticals in actual EMWTP were degraded by a PMS/zeolite combination. • Zeolite alone led to a moderate removal, while PMS induced some direct oxidations. • PMS/zeolite efficiently eliminated pharmaceuticals, decreased color and phytotoxicity.