Cefalosporinas e surfactante não-iônico em efluente hospitalar: determinação, degradação por meio de fotólise e eletrocoagulação e identificação de subprodutos e metabólitos

Abstract

The currently incorrect and excessive consumption of pharmaceuticals and surfactants, mainly domestic usage, has become a concern to the scientific community around the world, due to the environmental consequences with regard to the bacterial resistance (characteristic of antibiotics), and alteration of hormonal systems (provoked by the degradation products of nonylphenols polyethoxylates (NPEO)). Hence, research about the behaviour of these xenobiotics has become necessary. In this study, the degradation of cephalosporins (cefazolin and ceftazidime) in synthetic solution and in hospital wastewater by photolysis was investigated as well as the removal of non-ionic surfactant nonylphenol ethoxylate (NP9EO) by electrocoagulation, in synthetic solution and also as a component of effluent discharge, evaluating the possible formation of the endocrine disruptor 4-nonylphenol (NP). In addition to the studies of degradation, methodologies of determination were adapted with the objective of evaluating the presence of these contaminants ih hospital wastewater. The studied process parameters were: concentration of cefazolin, ceftazidime, NP9EO and NP (measured by high performance liquid chromatography - HPLC and liquid chromatography with detector coupled to a mass spectrometer - LC-MS), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), chemical oxygen demand (COD), toxicity (luminescent test by Vibrio fischeri) and biodegradability (Closed Bottle Test (CBT) and Manometric Respirometry test). The methodology of determination and pre-concentration, adapted for the substances employed, demonstrated to be adequate. The concentration of NP9EO in the effluent collected exhibited a variation between 0,075 mg L-1 and 4.1 mg L-1. The compound NP was not detected in any of the samples. Due to difficulty in the determination of beta-lactamics antibiotics (which can be susceptible to hydrolysis) it was not possible to find the cephalosporins in hospital effluent. Initial studies were carried out with the aim to investigate the products of transformation of these compounds in complex matrices. It was verified the possibility of the presence of species generated from the cephalosporanic antibiotics in the effluent. For the photolysis experiments of the antibiotics in synthetic solution, a reactor with a capacity of 1 L, with a cooling system and mercury lamp (150 W) was used. Solutions containing 10 mg L-1 of cefazolin and ceftazidime in differents pH (4, 7 and 9) were submeted for 1 hour to the process and degradations up to 90% were reached. The kinetics of reaction proved to be of the first order. The decay of DOC reached around 75% in one hour of photoprocess. In hospital effluent, cephalosporins degradations of over 96% were found, after 1 hour of photolysis, and almost no decay of COD, lower than 10%, was observed. The experiments of electrocoagulation of the synthetic solution and hospital effluent containing NP9EO were carried out in stirred tank reactor, 500 mL capacity, with cooling, aluminum electrodes and distance between electrodes of 3.5 cm. Current of 1.5 A was applied in solutions containing 20 and 40 mg L-1. Removal of the NP9EO in synthetic solution was 95% after 30 min, proving to be the first order of kinetics. The presence of NP was not identified in eletrocoagulated solution for 30 min, but the formation of other by-products of degradation such as NP1EC, also recognized for having estrogenic activity probably occurred. In hospital effluent, removal of NP9EO was 89% while the COD reached a decay of 26% after 30 min of electrocoagulation. In order to evaluate the biodegradability of cephalosporins, before and after photolysis, Closed Bottle Test (CBT) was employed. Similarly the manometric respirometry test was used to predict the biodegradability of NP9EO before and after electrocoagulation process. According to the tests, all xenobiotics investigated, can not be classified as readily biodegradable. Toxicity tests with Vibrio fischeri were applied to the pharmaceuticals, before and after the photolysis experiments; An increase in toxicity was observed, but more extensive tests should be realized. It was verified that direct photolysis can degrade quickly, the two cephalosporins in both aqueous solution and in hospital wastewater, but the results of toxicity showed a higher toxicity of photolysis products. It was also observed that species originated form the cephalosporins may be present in the effluent. It is not known whether these species generated, (as the products formed after photolysis), are more toxic, so further research on the behavior of these drugs should be performed. The NP9EO was removed successfully by electrocoagulation, in aqueous solution and hospital effluent and there is no formation of the endocrine disruptor NP, after applying this treatment. However, degradation products were detected, and there is a possibility NP1EC formation, that similar to NP, can cause changes in hormone systems. Despite the formation of some by-products, through improved experimental conditions for electrocoagulation, it was concluded, that this process is very suitable for recalcitrant effluents treatments and can reasonably remove the organic matter, especially when used with other concomitant treatments.