Spinning Submerged Filter Adsorber versus Packed Bed Adsorber for the Continuous Removal of Antibiotics from Wastewater with Activated Carbon

Abstract

The removal of antibiotics from wastewater is receiving considerable attention to fulfill water quality parameters required for reuse. This study compares a spinning submerged filter adsorber with a fixed bed adsorber for continuous antibiotic removal. Adsorbers were evaluated with micro granular activated carbon (μGAC: 508 μm), coarse powder activated carbon (cPAC: 197 μm), powder activated carbon (PAC: 77 μm), and a domestic wastewater effluent spiked with a mixture of amoxicillin, sulfamethoxazole, and levofloxacin with concentrations ranging from 10 to 50 mg/L. The fixed bed adsorber packed with cPAC was the most efficient adsorber running with wastewater spiked with 50 mg/L of each antibiotic and an empty bed contact time (EBCT) of 4.5 min. The spinning submerged filter adsorber configuration also provided high removal effectiveness using a 15 g/L concentration of PAC but with a lower hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 40 min. This adsorption unit can be filled with small PAC particles, unlike packed beds, and PAC concentrations can be increased up to 150 g/L if necessary. It combines adsorption and filtration with a completely mixed mode of operation in which the PAC concentration can be adapted to effluent micropollutant concentrations, making it an interesting alternative for adsorption processes.