APIs are bioactive compounds designed to have specific therapeutic effects on humans and animals. However, when released into the environment, even in minimal concentrations, they can cause harmful effects on ecosystems and the food chain . Furthermore, as in the case of antifungal production, the presence of API residues in wastewater can contribute to the development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria, posing a serious threat to public health.
To address these challenges, pharmaceutical companies must adopt innovative and efficient wastewater treatment solutions to remove APIs and other micropollutants before discharge or reuse. However, pharmaceutical wastewater is complex and specific to individual production sites. For this reason, before identifying the most suitable treatment pathway for the production site, a Water Mapping study is also proposed , in line with ISO 46001 tools , to identify the characteristics of the wastewater, combined with laboratory feasibility tests or pilot or leased plants . This will allow the best treatment pathway to be chosen for removing APIs from wastewater.
Evaled™ evaporation systems are the solution for treating wastewater disposed of externally by third parties due to the presence of chlorides, APIs, or solvents. Evaled reduces the volume disposed of externally by over 90% and also produces water for internal reuse as technical water.
The range of ozone systems solves the problem of wastewater treatment containing API residues with molecules that are difficult to biodegrade. Ozone treatment, applied upstream or downstream of evaporation or biological treatments, further improves the breakdown of APIs or solvents such as H2S and DMS.
eXeno is a multistage process that uses specialized microorganisms to degrade APIs and other organic compounds, ensuring high removal efficiency and excellent water quality. It is ideal for new plants, to integrate existing systems, or as a tertiary post-treatment, ensuring the removal of pharmaceuticals, carbon, and nitrogen even at peak loads.
MPPE technology is ideal for separating hydrocarbon solvents from wastewater streams. It features automatic regeneration of both vessels, ensuring continuous treatment without producing gas or residual sludge.
By choosing Veolia Water Technologies' technologies for pharmaceutical wastewater treatment, companies can benefit from numerous advantages: