Iranian Chemical Engineering Journal

Iranian Chemical Engineering Journal

Laboratory-Scale Treatment of Pharmaceutical Wastewater Containing Antibiotics Using the Fenton Advanced Oxidation Process

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
F. Ostovar 1
M. Tavakoli 2
N. Abedinzadeh 3
S. Yousefzadeh Lakhtaki 4
1 Assistant Professor of Analytical Chemistry, Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research
2 PhD. Student of Analytical Chemistry, Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research
3 Assistant Professor of Environmental Science, Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research
4 BSc. in Applied Chemistry, University of Guilan
10.22034/ijche.2025.534536.1535
Abstract
Antibiotics are extensively used in pharmaceutical industries and hospitals, leading to the discharge of wastewater containing high levels of these pollutants. In this study, the treatability of pharmaceutical wastewater containing a mixture of three antibiotics clarithromycin, cefixime, and oxytetracycline was investigated using the Fenton advanced oxidation process. The raw wastewater had an initial chemical oxygen demand (COD) of approximately 570 mg/L and a biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) of about 305 mg/L. COD was selected as the target parameter for treatment efficiency assessment. Key operational parameters, including initial pH, hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) concentration, ferrous ion (Fe²⁺) dosage, and reaction time, were evaluated to determine their effects on COD removal. Optimization results showed that the best removal was achieved at pH 3, H₂O₂ concentration of 250 mg/L, Fe²⁺ concentration of 500 mg/L, and a reaction time of 45 minutes, with an optimal Fe²⁺/H₂O₂ ratio of 2. Under these conditions, approximately 90% of COD was removed, reducing the final COD to about 56 mg/L. These results indicate that the Fenton process is highly effective for treating antibiotic-contaminated pharmaceutical wastewater to meet environmental discharge standards.
Keywords
Pharmaceutical Wastewater
Fenton Process
Antibiotics
COD
Hydrogen Peroxide
Subjects
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Iranian Chemical Engineering Journal
Volume 25, Issue 145 - Serial Number 145
July and August 2026
Pages 125-135