1. Characteristics of wastewater

With the development of the pharmaceutical industry, pharmaceutical wastewater has gradually become one of the important sources of pollution. The complex composition of pharmaceutical wastewater and the production process of drugs determine the characteristics of pharmaceutical wastewater. The production of drugs is achieved through chemical synthesis processes and separation and purification from medicinal plants to obtain raw materials. Due to the different types of drugs, production processes, and complex processes, there are many types of raw and auxiliary materials. The production process strictly controls the quality of raw materials and intermediates, resulting in low material purity and multiple by-products, leading to significant differences in the composition of pharmaceutical wastewater, which poses great difficulties in treatment.

2. Wastewater hazards

Although pharmaceutical wastewater has varying water quality due to different products, raw materials, and process methods, overall, pharmaceutical wastewater has a high content of organic pollutants, toxic substances, difficult to biodegrade substances, and high salt content, making it a highly hazardous industrial wastewater. Random discharge can cause great harm to the environment.

3. Processing method

The treatment technologies for pharmaceutical wastewater can be summarized into four types: biological treatment, chemical treatment, physicochemical treatment, and physical treatment. Each treatment method has its own advantages and disadvantages.

1、 Catalytic oxidation method:

Under the action of catalysts, the organic compounds in pharmaceutical wastewater can be oxidized and decomposed by strong oxidants, and the double bonds in the organic structure break. The large molecules oxidize into small molecules, which further oxidize into carbon dioxide and water, resulting in a significant decrease in COD and an increase in BOD/COD values, increasing the biodegradability of pharmaceutical wastewater. After advanced treatment, it can be discharged up to standard. The catalytic oxidation process can overcome the shortcomings of the traditional biochemical treatment of pharmaceutical wastewater, effectively destroy the conjugated system of organic molecules, and achieve the goal of removing COD and improving the biodegradability. In the catalytic oxidation method, the selection of catalysts and oxidants is crucial.

2、 Internal electrolysis method:

The principle of internal electrolysis method is to use the iron and graphite components in iron filings to form the negative electrode and positive electrode of micro electrolysis. Using the charged sewage as the electrolyte solution, in a slightly acidic medium, the positive electrode generates strong reducing new ecological hydrogen, which can reduce heavy metal ions and organic pollutants. The negative electrode generates reducible ferrous ions. The generated iron ions and ferrous ions are hydrolyzed and polymerized to form hydroxide polymers in the form of colloids, which have precipitation, flocculation and adsorption effects, and can form flocs and precipitate together with pollutants. The application of internal electrolysis method can remove some chromaticity and organic matter from pharmaceutical wastewater, improve the biochemical treatment performance of pharmaceutical wastewater, and increase the removal effect of organic matter by biological treatment.

3、 Anaerobic biological treatment:

Anaerobic biological treatment of pharmaceutical wastewater is to use the metabolic process of anaerobic microorganisms to transform organics into inorganic compound substances and a small amount of cellular substances without increasing oxygen. These inorganic compound substances mainly include a large amount of biogas and water. This treatment method is an efficient and energy-saving treatment process for low concentration organic pharmaceutical wastewater; For high concentration organic pharmaceutical wastewater, it is not only an energy-saving treatment method, but also a production capacity method.

4、 Coagulation sedimentation method:

Coagulation is an important process in water treatment. Through coagulation, sedimentation, and filtration, the turbidity and chromaticity of water can be greatly reduced, and suspended solids and impurities in the water can be removed. Coagulation process is a very complex physical and chemical process. It is to add a certain amount of coagulant to pharmaceutical wastewater under certain pH, temperature and other conditions, and make it react and precipitate with suspended water insoluble substances and supersaturated substances in sewage through stirring, so as to make pharmaceutical wastewater clear from turbidity.

4. Process characteristics

1. Good effluent quality

The effluent is clear, with low SS content. Organic pollutants, phosphates, bacteria, viruses, parasitic eggs, etc. in the water are all trapped in the MBR bioreactor.

2. Stable operation

Due to the high concentration of sludge in the MBR bioreactor, the removal efficiency of this system changes little under large load changes, and the treated effluent is stable.

3. High cost-effectiveness

The processing process is short, with small footprint, compact and simple structure, stable and flexible operation, simple operation management and maintenance, and saves engineering investment.

5. Process Description

Pharmaceutical wastewater treatment equipment is designed for the treatment and reuse of wastewater generated during the production of medical drugs by pharmaceutical factories. The main process used is the MBR process, which is a new and efficient wastewater treatment process that combines membrane technology and wastewater biological treatment technology. It originated in the United States in the 1970s. For pharmaceutical production wastewater, it is difficult to achieve the expected treatment effect using traditional biochemical treatment processes. MBR bioreactor treatment process is currently a better choice.

6. Applicable industries

1. Pharmaceutical companies

2. Biopharmaceutical companies

3. Pharmaceutical Factory