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Ensuring Purity: Advanced Pharmaceutical Wastewater Treatment
A Memva Case Study on removing recalcitrant organics and APIs to meet stringent environmental standards.
Read the Case StudyThe Challenge: Complex & Toxic Effluents
Pharmaceutical manufacturing typically generates wastewater characterized by high organic strength, toxicity, and low biodegradability. Unlike municipal sewage, these streams often contain:
- ✖ Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs): Traces of antibiotics, hormones, and steroids that pose ecological risks.
- ✖ Refractory Organics: Solvents and complex chemical structures that resist standard biological breakdown.
- ✖ High Salinity & TDS: Resulting from various chemical synthesis steps and wash-downs.
The Memva Solution Protocol
A multi-barrier approach tailored for chemical synthesis wastewater.
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1. Advanced Oxidation (AOP)
Utilization of Fenton reagents or Catalytic Ozonation to break ring structures of antibiotics and increase the BOD/COD ratio for better biodegradability.
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2. Specialized MBR
A Membrane Bioreactor system acclimated with specific bacterial strains to handle high organic loads, separating sludge completely from the treated water.
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3. RO & Polishing
Reverse Osmosis membranes remove dissolved salts and any remaining trace organics, ensuring the effluent meets strict surface water discharge limits.
Project Profile: Zenith Bio-Pharma
Location: Industrial Park, Southeast Region
Capacity: 500 m³/day
Client Pain Point: The client produces antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs. Their previous conventional activated sludge system failed due to toxicity shocks, leading to regulatory fines.
Operational Result: Since installing the Memva Integrated System, the plant has achieved 100% compliance for 18 consecutive months.
Performance Metrics
| Parameter | Influent (Raw) | Memva Effluent |
|---|---|---|
| COD (mg/L) | 8,500 - 12,000 | < 50 |
| BOD₅ (mg/L) | 3,500 | < 10 |
| NH₃-N (mg/L) | 450 | < 1.0 |
| Toxicity | High (Acute) | Non-Toxic |
Expert Solutions FAQ
Direct answers to your pharmaceutical wastewater challenges.
Q: How does Memva treat refractory organics and antibiotics?
We utilize Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOP) such as Fenton oxidation or Ozone catalytic oxidation as a pre-treatment. This breaks down the complex molecular rings of antibiotics, reducing toxicity and improving biodegradability before the water enters the biological system.
Q: Can your system handle high TDS and salinity from chemical synthesis?
Yes. For high-salinity streams, we implement specific salt-tolerant bacteria strains in our biological systems. Additionally, we may utilize evaporation technologies (MVR) or High-Pressure Reverse Osmosis (HPRO) to concentrate and manage Total Dissolved Solids effectively.
Q: What is the typical reduction rate for COD in your pharma case studies?
While it varies by production type (fermentation vs. chemical synthesis), our integrated AOP + MBR systems typically achieve COD reduction rates of over 95%. We regularly reduce influent COD from levels as high as 10,000+ mg/L down to compliant discharge levels.
Q: Do you offer Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) solutions for pharmaceutical plants?
Yes, Memva specializes in ZLD systems. We combine membrane concentration (RO/DTRO) with thermal crystallizers to ensure no liquid effluent leaves the facility, recovering high-purity water for reuse in cooling towers or boiler feeds.
Ready to optimize your wastewater process?
Contact Memva's pharmaceutical engineering team for a free consultation.