Aplicação dos processos hibridos de eletrocoagulação e ozonização na degradação dos fármacos presentes em efluente sanitário

Abstract

The presence of emerging contaminants, particularly pharmaceuticals such as triclosan and ciprofloxacin, in domestic wastewater has become a growing environmental concern due to their low biodegradability and potential ecological toxicity. This study evaluated the efficiency of electrocoagulation and ozonation, applied sequentially, for the removal of these compounds from sanitary effluent collected at the Wastewater Treatment Plant of UFFS – Erechim Campus. The effluent was initially characterized, followed by kinetic assays to determine the optimal treatment time and the most suitable voltage for electrocoagulation. The results showed a removal of 15% of triclosan and 51.8% of ciprofloxacin after electrocoagulation, while the ozonation treatment increased triclosan removal to 37.3%. High efficiencies were obtained for the physicochemical parameters with the sequential process of electrocoagulation followed by ozonation, resulting in final removals of turbidity (95.9%), color (83.9%), and 23.3% of total organic carbon. These findings highlight the potential of combining electrocoagulation and ozonation as an effective strategy for treating recalcitrant pharmaceuticals and improving effluent quality, reinforcing the applicability of advanced oxidation processes as complementary technologies to conventional wastewater treatment.