Determination and removal of Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen, Diclofenac, Carbamazepine and Sulfamethoxazole residues in wastewater. Case study: CHUK and Masaka Hospitals

Abstract

Pharmaceuticals such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed to the patients due to different sickness and are sometimes found in wastewater discharged in the environment These chemicals reach the environment due to the lack of effective ways of treating wastewater from hospitals. This study focused on the determination of level of diclofenac, ibuprofen, sulfamethoxazole, carbamazepine and acetaminophen residues in wastewater from two hospitals located in Kigali City which are Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Kigali (CHUK) and Masaka Hospital. High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) with UV detector was used to conduct this chemical analysis. Results have indicated that no any of these pharmaceuticals were present in the wastewaters taken from these two hospitals in their pure forms. However, HPLC indicated the presence of other no identified chemicals in these wastewaters. An adsorption method was also investigated for the removal of these pharmaceuticals from synthetic wastewater. Adsorbents made from charcoal indicated effectiveness in removing these pharmaceuticals in wastewater. Pharmaceuticals were retained in the pores of the adsorbent then removed with it. In a synthetic wastewater, the level of acetaminophen, diclofenac, carbamazepine, sulfamethoxazole and ibuprofen were reduced as the dosage of the adsorbent and temperature for adsorption process increased. The advanced technologies for wastewater treatment are recommended for all wastewater coming from hospitals in Rwanda and many more assessment of these non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs using a highly sensitive mass spectrometer detector which is mostly not available in most of the laboratories for a safety of environment.