Sonolysis of Pharmaceutical and Personal Care Products as an Advanced Oxidation Process for the Remediation Treatment of Wastewater Effluents

Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (PPCPs) are a diverse group of chemicals, also known as xenobiotics, treated like potential environmental pollutants. Recently, PPCPs have been detected in trace amounts in surface and ground water resources especially those receiving wastewater effluents. Sonolytic irradiation, an Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP), had received increased attention lately as a possible remediation treatment for these pollutants. However, optimization studies are required in order to minimize operational energy costs. The objective of this research is to study the sonolytic degradation of selected PPCPs model compounds, at an ultrasonic frequency of 20 kHz. In addition, the rate of formation of H2O2 that occurs as a result of the OH? produced during the reaction will be studied. To develop this degradation process, Fenton's reaction reagent and direct addition of H2O2 will be used at different reaction temperatures. The pH will also be monitored. Preliminary sonolytic results utilizing UV-Vis Spectrophotometer and High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) analytical instruments showed linear calibration curves of some PPCPs in concentrations as low as ppb (µg/L). In addition, partial degradation of caffeine and acetaminophen was observed throughout the reaction time at a temperature of 35°C and 40% transducer voltage amplitude. Keywords: PPCPs, Ultrasound, wastewater treatment, HPLC