Toxicity and biodegradability assessment of raw and ozonated procaine penicillin G formulation effluent

The effect of O₃ (applied dose=1440 mg h^-1; pH 7 and pH 12) and H₂O₂/O₃ (applied dose=1440 mg h ^-1; pH 7; 10 mM H₂O₂) pretreatment of procaine penicillin G (PPG) formulation effluent on its biodegradability and acute toxicity was investigated. For that purpose ISO 8192 activated sludge inhibition and Daphnia magna acute toxicity tests were conducted. BOD₅ measurements that were carried out to preevaluate the biocompatibility of untreated, ozonated, and perozonated PPG effluent have shown that BOD ₅ alone was not a very correct or useful tool to predict the actual biodegradability of PPG effluent. No significant correlation existed between the BOD₅ and the toxicity test results. Acute toxicity studies carried out with D. magna and synthetic municipal sewage sludge have demonstrated the inhibitory effect of H₂O₂/O₃ oxidation. COD removal of pharmaceutical wastewater containing PPG effluent with acclimated sewage sludge decreased from 79% to 50% after H₂O₂/O ₃ pretreatment.