Biodegradability improvement of penicillin formulation effluent by ozonation

The wide application range of antibiotics in human and veterinary medicine has led to large-scale dissemination of refractory and even toxic pollutants in the environment. These organic and inorganic compounds, considered to be the principal environmental concern in this sector, are generated during the synthesis and formulation steps of production. In the present study, the oxidative pre-treatment of penicillin formulation effluent containing Sultamicillin Tosylate Diydrate (molecular weight: 802.85 g/mol; initial COD = 685 mg/L; initial TOC = 199 mg/L) via ozonation at varying pH (3-11.5) and ozone feed rates (127-2750 mg/h) was investigated. The biodegradability of raw and pre-ozonated penicillin formulation effluent was also questioned in separate biotreatment experiments.