Across the country, states and municipalities are now concerned about pharmaceutical residues in wastewater. A number of governments are assessing their current wastewater treatment systems for safety and effectiveness for discharge to the natural environment in order to meet the effluent guidelines and EPA regulatory standards. Ozone for pharmaceutical residue removal is great choice to deal with wastewater treatment.

Wastewater is generated by a variety of industrial processes, including textile production, paper production, oil and gas extraction, iron and steel production, food processing, and pharmaceutical production. Among the contaminants found in wastewater are pharmaceuticals, aldehydes, glycol, amines, alcohols, and complex proteins among others. In addition, wastewater contains other contaminants, suspended solids, including biodegradable organics, volatile organics, xenobiotics, metal ions, and nutrients such as phosphorus, nitrogen, and microbial pathogens.
Water disinfection isn’t the only challenge. The air may be contaminated by some contaminants in the water, causing odors. Those other organic materials, as well as sulfur compounds (H2S and mercaptans), cause odor problems in wastewater treatment plants.
The EPA says disinfection is the primary method of preventing waterborne diseases from spreading to downstream users and the environment. However, each stage of the wastewater treatment process is important. Ineffective wastewater treatment can have harmful consequences for the environment.
Pharmaceutical Residue
Microparticles such as pharmaceutical residue have been found in waste water by several studies. The water is released into the environment without having been properly treated at our waste water treatment plants. The pharmaceutical residue problem is being addressed in many countries in Europe. Politicians are requiring the sewage plants to be equipped with systems to remove pharmaceutical residues from the water.
Micropollutants in our Wastewater

The micropollutants in our wastewater are emerging concerns. Micro pollution is characterized by the fact that it is persistent and bioactive. Examples of micro pollutants include pesticides, hydrocarbons, and bioactive metals like lead, mercury, and arsenic, as well as PPCPs (personal care products like fragrances, cosmetics, and sunscreen).
The bodies of pharmaceuticals are not constructed to hold them – they are built to release them into the waste water. They are constructed to last a very long time and to break down very slowly. Pharmaceutics are also bioactive. Most pharmaceutical effluent comes from domestic sewage. Studies have shown that 70 percent of the residues in our waste water come from household use while only 20 percent come from livestock farming and only 5 percent from hospital effluents.
Ozone – The Prevailing Technique for Pharmaceutical Removal
Pharmaceutical residues are not removed by most wastewater treatment plants today. As much as 70% of the effluent actually enters the aquatic ecosystem, with about 10% eliminated at treatment plants.
The levels of pharmaceutical residue in our water can be effectively reduced by using the ozone treatment. A large part of pharmaceuticals are not degraded by conventional biological and mechanical treatment methods since they do not break them down. Ozone is a selective oxidant and primarily attacks electron rich structures in molecules, such as double bonds, and is therefore efficient in breaking down pharmaceuticals.
What is Ozone’s Role in Disinfecting Wastewater?

The primary methods of wastewater disinfection used in municipal systems are chlorination, ultraviolet light, and chloramine. Despite being widely accepted in Europe for decades, ozone disinfection is not widely used in the United States. Generally, it is used as a secondary treatment or later in large plants. Due to the naturally occurring organic material in water and the fact that chlorine can react with this organic material to form harmful by-products, many municipalities choose alternative methods of disinfection. A higher level of disinfection can be achieved with ozone treatment than with chlorine or UV. Without creating harmful by-products or chemical residue, it can destroy chemicals such as dyes, odors, and microorganisms.
Must check out: SPA & Home Water Ozonizers
During ozone decomposition in water, two free radicals are formed: hydrogen peroxyl (HO2) and hydroxyl (OH). These radicals possess immense oxidative capacities and aid in disinfection. By dissolving the cell walls of the bacteria (cell lysis), this oxidation destroys them. Tensides, phenols, and cyanides will also be removed from wastewater by ozone.
Decontamination of water and elimination of odors are made easier with the power, safety, and environmental friendliness of ozone. Iron and manganese are also removed by ozonation. Their removal reduces discoloration of discharge water, even though the elements cause little or no health issues. As a result of ozonation, pipe, fixtures, and other components will be less likely to accumulate iron and manganese, thereby lowering overall maintenance costs.
Additionally, ozone has the following benefits:
- A short contact time is required for ozone
- Following ozonation, there are no harmful residuals to be removed
- In wastewater, the presence of particulates protects the microorganisms from regrowth through ozone
- Ozone has the advantage of eliminating the costs, requirements for storage, and logistical uncertainty associated with chemicals
- Dissolved Oxygen DO concentration can be raised by using Ozone to reduce the need for re-aeration
- The BOD and COD contaminants are effectively removed
- Chemical treatment/storage systems require more space and more equipment as compared to ozone
- Ozone disinfection will not require filtering
- When ozone is used, there are fewer secondary by-products, like Trihalomethanes (THM)
- The disinfection process can be used to control odors as well.
Ozone is a Cost-Effective Solution
It has been shown that ozone can remove as much as 95% of pharmaceutical residue depending on the dosage and retention time. Various micropollutants such as pharmaceutical residue can be removed from wastewater via ozone’s potent oxidation ability. Therefore, it prevents diseases from spreading by killing bacteria, pathogens such as viruses, fungal organisms, and algae. By doing so, it can stop the organisms from materializing into algae problems at a very early stage. Other systems require much more maintenance and take a lot more time and money to maintain. In this way, ozone systems are more efficient than any other treatment method on the market.
The Ozon generator’s ozone technology allows pharmaceutical residue to be effectively removed at a low cost. At Ozongenerators, the cost of high-quality ozone generators is very low as compared to other competitors in the market. You can check out our variety of products here to remove pharmaceutical residue from wastewater.