Pharmaceutical wastewater treatment using direct contact membrane distillation
Most of the pharmaceutical industrial waste is transported off-site for treatment or incineration, both of which are typically costly and environmentally harmful. This study explores the feasibility of using membrane distillation (MD) to treat pharmaceutical industrial waste stream, aiming to meet t...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2025
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10356/182590 |
| _version_ | 1826112626783944704 |
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| author | Sim, Lee Nuang Jayaraman, Praveena Lau, Yi Hui Chong, Tzyy Haur Wang, Rong |
| author2 | School of Civil and Environmental Engineering |
| author_facet | School of Civil and Environmental Engineering Sim, Lee Nuang Jayaraman, Praveena Lau, Yi Hui Chong, Tzyy Haur Wang, Rong |
| author_sort | Sim, Lee Nuang |
| collection | NTU |
| description | Most of the pharmaceutical industrial waste is transported off-site for treatment or incineration, both of which are typically costly and environmentally harmful. This study explores the feasibility of using membrane distillation (MD) to treat pharmaceutical industrial waste stream, aiming to meet the discharge standard before disposal into the sewer. Specifically, direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) process was identified as an effective method for handling high salinity, high boron pharmaceutical waste stream from a local pharmaceutical manufacturer. Several commercially available hydrophobic membranes were tested with the real wastewater samples. Among the membranes tested, the performance of PTFE membrane was found better compared to PVDF and PP membrane, in term of the flux (~7 LMH) and rejection (>99 %). The DCMD process successfully removed over 99 % of sodium, potassium, phosphate and boron, meeting discharge standards. The study also explored various membrane regeneration strategies, including in-situ chemical cleaning and warm air drying. An economic analysis revealed potential saving of 19–34 % when using membrane treatment compared to incineration. Overall, the study demonstrated the effectiveness of MD for treating pharmaceutical wastewater, ensuring it meets discharge quality and reducing incineration volume. This research serves as the foundation for future investigations into MD processes within the pharmaceutical industry. |
| first_indexed | 2025-03-09T10:38:31Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | ntu-10356/182590 |
| institution | Nanyang Technological University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-03-09T10:38:31Z |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | ntu-10356/1825902025-02-11T01:24:56Z Pharmaceutical wastewater treatment using direct contact membrane distillation Sim, Lee Nuang Jayaraman, Praveena Lau, Yi Hui Chong, Tzyy Haur Wang, Rong School of Civil and Environmental Engineering Singapore Membrane Technology Centre Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute Engineering Membrane distillation Pharmaceutical wastewater Most of the pharmaceutical industrial waste is transported off-site for treatment or incineration, both of which are typically costly and environmentally harmful. This study explores the feasibility of using membrane distillation (MD) to treat pharmaceutical industrial waste stream, aiming to meet the discharge standard before disposal into the sewer. Specifically, direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) process was identified as an effective method for handling high salinity, high boron pharmaceutical waste stream from a local pharmaceutical manufacturer. Several commercially available hydrophobic membranes were tested with the real wastewater samples. Among the membranes tested, the performance of PTFE membrane was found better compared to PVDF and PP membrane, in term of the flux (~7 LMH) and rejection (>99 %). The DCMD process successfully removed over 99 % of sodium, potassium, phosphate and boron, meeting discharge standards. The study also explored various membrane regeneration strategies, including in-situ chemical cleaning and warm air drying. An economic analysis revealed potential saving of 19–34 % when using membrane treatment compared to incineration. Overall, the study demonstrated the effectiveness of MD for treating pharmaceutical wastewater, ensuring it meets discharge quality and reducing incineration volume. This research serves as the foundation for future investigations into MD processes within the pharmaceutical industry. Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) National Research Foundation (NRF) Public Utilities Board (PUB) This research was supported by Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) Singapore under its Pharma Innovation Programme Singapore (PIPS) program (A19B3a0015). We would like to thank the National Research Foundation, Singapore, and PUB, Singapore's National Water Agency under its RIE2025 Urban Solutions and Sustainability (USS) (Water) Centre of Excellence (CoE) Programme which provides funding to the Nanyang Environment & Water Research Institute (NEWRI) of the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU). 2025-02-11T01:24:56Z 2025-02-11T01:24:56Z 2024 Journal Article Sim, L. N., Jayaraman, P., Lau, Y. H., Chong, T. H. & Wang, R. (2024). Pharmaceutical wastewater treatment using direct contact membrane distillation. Journal of Water Process Engineering, 68, 106563-. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jwpe.2024.106563 2214-7144 https://hdl.handle.net/10356/182590 10.1016/j.jwpe.2024.106563 2-s2.0-85209587354 68 106563 en A19B3a0015 Journal of Water Process Engineering © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies. |
| spellingShingle | Engineering Membrane distillation Pharmaceutical wastewater Sim, Lee Nuang Jayaraman, Praveena Lau, Yi Hui Chong, Tzyy Haur Wang, Rong Pharmaceutical wastewater treatment using direct contact membrane distillation |
| title | Pharmaceutical wastewater treatment using direct contact membrane distillation |
| title_full | Pharmaceutical wastewater treatment using direct contact membrane distillation |
| title_fullStr | Pharmaceutical wastewater treatment using direct contact membrane distillation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Pharmaceutical wastewater treatment using direct contact membrane distillation |
| title_short | Pharmaceutical wastewater treatment using direct contact membrane distillation |
| title_sort | pharmaceutical wastewater treatment using direct contact membrane distillation |
| topic | Engineering Membrane distillation Pharmaceutical wastewater |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10356/182590 |
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