Effect of the pharmaceuticals (diclofenac, ibuprofen and erythromycin) on the heterotrophic biomass of a membrane bioreactor in urban wastewater treatment

Emerging contamination compounds are substances frequently detected in the influent of wastewater treatment plants. In this group are ibuprofen and diclofenac, two commonly used pharmaceuticals pertaining to the group of anti-inflammatory pharmaceuticals, as well as erythromycin, an antibiotic also belonging to the CECs. During the course of this research, the effect of these compounds on the heterotrophic biomass of a membrane bioreactor has been studied, both jointly and individually. This reactor is part of the pilot plant of the Los Vados WWTP in Granada, which operates with real urban wastewater, where sludge is collected for later doping in the laboratory. The pilot plant operates continuously under steady state conditions at 4,000 +/- 597.81 mg/L MLSS and 6 hours of hydraulic retention time. When the doping in the laboratory has been performed, different respirometric tests are carried out to check the kinetic behaviour of the heterotrophic biomass.