Downstream from the pharmaceutical industry, wastewater increasingly needs to be treated to meet discharge limits into surface water bodies.
These effluents often contain organic compounds - such as COD, nitrogen, phosphorus - and within the COD, also residual organic molecules from APIs (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients).
Since the first pharma MBBR plant in 1997, Veolia’s AnoxKaldnes biological technologies have evolved far beyond traditional suspended growth activated sludge systems. We’re talking about MBBR (Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor) - a system using biomass attached to mobile carriers that are mixed within a biological tank. It’s a compact solution, ideal for sites with limited space. MBBR is suitable for APIs that are moderately or poorly biodegradable. There are also many upgrades of existing plants using CAS (Conventional Activated Sludge), which have been retrofitted with MBBR sections to improve their efficiency.
Biological treatment refers to using microorganisms instead of chemical agents - a more sustainable approach, aligned with BAT (Best Available Techniques), for treating biodegradable substances. In some pharmaceutical plants, MBBR eXeno™ technology (Ozone + MBBR) has been applied as a final polishing stage to reduce effluent toxicity.
Case Study: MBBR at Grindeks for Meldonium Treatment
The effluent flow of 200–500 m³/day is very complex in terms of COD (2000–7000 mg/l), nitrogen (100–200 mg/l), total phosphorus (8 mg/l), TSS (50 mg/l), and pH (4–10).
In every new project, the first step involves analysing composite samples collected on-site and filtered at 1.6 μm. Sampling frequency depends on the production batch schedule - e.g., two samples per week over four weeks. Then, in our laboratories, we built a scaled MBBR pilot plant and ran it for two months. After successful testing, the full-scale plant is built. In Grindeks, the plant consists of five MBBR sections in series to remove COD, nitrogen, phosphorus and phenols - a full setup for nitrification and denitrification.
In standard biological treatment systems, all aerobic tanks with suspended biomass use the same type of microorganisms. However, with MBBR compartments, bacteria specialise in removing specific types of contaminants. The first section removes readily biodegradable COD, followed by sections that target more persistent COD.
Many other moderately biodegradable compounds have also been effectively treated:
- Ketoprofen (75% removal with MBBR, only 10% with CAS)
- Gemfibrozil (73% MBBR, 15% CAS)
For poorly biodegradable compounds:
- Clofibric Acid (25% MBBR, 8% CAS)
- Diclofenac (22% MBBR, 4% CAS)
Veolia Water Technologies complements its pharmaceutical wastewater treatment expertise with technologies for low-boiling compounds and antibiotics (e.g., Clindamycin, Gabapentin) using Evaled technology. For hydrocarbon solvent residues from synthesis processes, Veolia offers MPPE (Macro Porous Polymer Extraction) technology.
Download the White Paper on eXeno: The MBBR System for Treating Wastewater from Pharmaceutical Industries