Removal of cosmetic ingredients and pharmaceuticals in sewage primary treatment

Two physico-chemical processes, coagulation–flocculation and flotation, have been assessed for enhancing the removal of some selected pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) present in sewage. Eight compounds, representative of three main groups of PPCPs according to their physico-chemical properties, have been selected: lipophilic compounds (the synthetic musks Galaxolide and Tonalide), neutral compounds (the tranquillizer Diazepam and the antiepileptic Carbamazepine) and acidic compounds (the anti-inflammatories Ibuprofen, Naproxen and Diclofenac). During the coagulation–flocculation assays, the main parameters considered were the selection of the additives, their doses and the temperature of operation (12 or 25 °C). Musks—which are highly lipophilic and Diclofenac—with significant sorption affinity—were removed around 50–70% at both temperatures independently of the dose and type of coagulant used. However, the rest of the compounds, which are more hydrophilic, were affected to a lesser degree (with maximum reductions below 25%). The exceptions to this behavior were Carbamazepine and Ibuprofen, which were not removed under any condition tested. During the flotation assays, the parameters studied were the initial content of fat in wastewaters and temperature. Again, musks were removed to a greater degree (35–60%), followed by Diazepam (40–50%) and Diclofenac (20–45%) and, to a lesser extent, Carbamazepine (20–35%), Ibuprofen (10–25%) and Naproxen (10–30%). The best results were always obtained at 25 °C, although in some cases the operation at 12 °C gave similar results. The removal of musks and neutral compounds was higher in wastewaters with a high fat content (around 150 mg l−1).