Thesis (M.Sc.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Science - Department of Analytical Chemistry

Pharmaceutical wastewater is a source of a wide variety of hazardous products. The aim of this research is to treat wastewater contaminants by reducing concentrations of total organic carbon, chemical oxygen demand, biological oxygen demand, ethinylestradiol, phosphate and sunset yellow. This study, investigated and optimized the effect of operating parameters (e.g. contact time, pH, concentrations, adsorbent dose, and stirring rate) to reach an ideal treatment by using encapsulated activated carbon in alginate (AG-AC). TOC removal efficiency between (83 and 67 %) was achieved after using different TOC concentrations (100, 200, 300, 400 and 500 mg\L) with 30 (g\L) of encapsulated activated carbon in alginate, pH 4, stirring rate 100 rpm and contact time 60 min. COD removal efficiency between (89 and 73 %) was achieved after using different COD concentrations (100 to 1000 mg\L) with 30 (g\L) of encapsulated activated carbon in alginate, pH 3, stirring rate 100 rpm and contact time 60 min. BOD removal efficiency between (91 and 76 %) was achieved after using different BOD concentrations (40, 90 140, 190, 240, 280, 330, 380, 430 and 480 mg\L) with 30 (g\L) of encapsulated activated carbon in alginate, pH 3, stirring rate 100 rpm and contact time 60 min. Ethinylestradiol removal efficiency between (96 and 84 %) was achieved after using different Ethinylestradiol concentrations (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 mg\L) with 10 (g\L) of encapsulated activated carbon in alginate, pH 4, stirring rate 100 rpm and contact time 30 min. Phosphate removal efficiency between (98 and 63 %) was achieved after using different phosphate ions concentrations (1, 3, 5, 10 and 15 mg\L) with 30 (g\L) of encapsulated activated carbon in alginate, pH 4, stirring rate 100 rpm and contact time 45 min. Sunset Yellow FCF removal efficiency between (79 and 60 %) and (62 and 39 %) were achieved after using different sunset yellow concentrations (10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 mg\L) with 10 (g\L) of encapsulated activated carbon in alginate, pH 3, stirring rate 100 rpm and contact time 30 min

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