Effect of Operational Parameters and Suitability of Biological Reactors for the removal of VOC from Pharmaceutical Wastewater- A Review

Abstract

Pharmaceutical industrial wastewater is mostly comprised of solvents. The emission of volatile organic compounds during the treatment of such industrial waste water poses a major challenge. Toxicity due to solvents affects the efficiency of anaerobic systems, whereas the extensive aeration in aerobic process enhances stripping of VOCs to atmosphere. Most of previous studies are on removal of COD from pharmaceutical wastewater. There is a need to understand the conditions favoring the degradation of VOCs in biological system so as to look at the options to reduce its emission. The present review stresses on the methods to control the emission of VOC from biological reactors. This paper concludes that the biological system with an ability to retain high biomass and operated under a hydraulic retention time which is longer along with controlled rate of air flow enhance the biodegradation of VOC in the wastewater and results in the reduction of the emission of  VOC from the wastewater treatment units.