Desenvolvimento e avaliação de mídias reativas cimentícias com diferentes proporções de adsorventes para remoção de ibuprofeno e naproxeno em solução aquosa e esgoto sanitário

Abstract

In Brazil, wastewater treatment systems are primarily designed for the removal of solids and organic matter and, therefore, are generally based on biological reactors. Although biological reactors exhibit satisfactory efficiency in the removal and degradation of organic matter, they are not effective for the removal of pharmaceutical compounds, which belong to the group of emerging contaminants. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the removal of pharmaceuticals from synthetic aqueous solutions and sanitary wastewater from the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) of the Federal University of Lavras (UFLA) using reactive media developed with different materials. The reactive media were produced using Portland cement, activated carbon, and zeolites, with mass proportions of 50% cement and 50% zeolite (CCa0Z50), 50% cement, 25% zeolite, and 25% activated carbon (CCa25Z25), and 50% activated carbon (CCa50Z0). The reactive media were manufactured in the shape of truncated pyramids with dimensions ranging from 1 to 2 cm. Different concentrations of naproxen and ibuprofen (1 mg L⁻¹, 2 mg L⁻¹, 3 mg L⁻¹, 4 mg L⁻¹, and 5 mg L⁻¹) were subjected to batch sorption assays conducted at 80 rpm for 40 minutes at 25 °C. The results obtained with the reactive media demonstrated ibuprofen and naproxen removal efficiencies in synthetic aqueous solution ranging from 91 to 98% and from 75 to 91%, respectively. The highest efficiencies were observed at the highest concentrations, reaching approximately 0.160 mg g⁻¹ in assay III. For sanitary wastewater spiked with pharmaceuticals, removal capacities of 0.097 mg g⁻¹ and 0.304 mg g⁻¹ were achieved for ibuprofen and naproxen, respectively, in assay III. In treated wastewater, lower values of approximately 0.006 mg g⁻¹ and 0.010 mg g⁻¹, respectively, were obtained, with removal efficiencies of 83% and 80%. The results obtained in this study demonstrate that the reactive media developed from cement, zeolite, and activated carbon exhibit high potential for the removal of ibuprofen and naproxen from both synthetic aqueous solutions and treated sanitary effluent.