Photocatalytic removal of 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) and levonorgestrel (LNG) from contraceptive pill manufacturing plant wastewater under UVC radiation

摘要

Photolytic and photocatalytic removals of 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) and levonorgestrel (LNG) in pharmaceutical wastewater were investigated under UVC radiation. Wastewater collected from WYETH, St-Laurent, Canada contained high concentrations of EE2 and LNG in suspension and coloring agent tartrazine in solution. Aqueous phase removals of EE2 and LNG were studied as individual contaminants in water and in complex matrices including: co-contaminants in water, in simulated synthetic wastewater and in the wastewater. After 30 min of UVC photocatalysis of the individual contaminants, removal efficiencies of EE2 and LNG were 92% and 97%, respectively, while higher photolytic removal was observed for LNG (94%) compared to EE2 (60%).