Mineralization of Wastewater from the Teaching Hospital of Treichville by a Combination of Biological Treatment and Advanced Oxidation Processes

Abstract

Biological treatment, due to its low installation cost, is widely used for wastewater treatment. However, this treatment remains ineffective for the oxidation of so-called emerging molecules. To solve this environmental problem, advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) combine with Biological treatment for rapid, efficient and cost-effective purification of wastewater. This combination used in this work, allowed a total mineralization of a real wastewater solution from the teaching hospital of Treichville named CHU of Treichville in Abidjan (CHUT), both in terms of organic and microbiological pollutants. Real wastewater from the CHUT underwent a Biological treatment for 28 days via the Zahn-Wellens methods which made it possible to have a reduction rate of the chemical oxygen demand of more than 90% of biologically active organic pollutants. The biologically treated wastewater was doped with ceftriaxone (CTX) to simulate a situation of wastewater containing a recalcitrant compound after Biological treatment. Subsequently, the doped solution underwent treatment with different AOPs (UV / H2O2, Fe2+ / H2O2 and UV / Fe2+ / H2O2). This combination resulted in a COD reduction rate of over to be higher 98% and total inactivation of microbiological germs.