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Abstract
Improper disposal of pharmaceutical wastes, coupled with low pollutant removal efficiency at wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), has created a disastrous ecological issue. Ecotoxicity reviews have consolidated that low concentrations of pharmaceutical pollutants, specifically non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, impose significant toxicological risks on the aquatic ecosystem. Research solutions have shifted towards electrochemical oxidation for its environmental-friendly, precise, and flexible reduction characteristics over non-electrochemical technologies. However, there isn't significant literature dedicated to finding the conditions for small-scale pretreatment, leaving the environment between the pollutant source and WWTPs at risk. This research explores the optimal conditions to pretreat pharmaceutical wastewater using electrochemical oxidation on a small-scale. A conventional approach, utilizing accessible materials and simple procedures, was selected to ease the implementation of pretreatment outside of WWTPs. Spectrophotometric analysis was performed to identify the concentration changes through absorbance for reagents. Manipulated variables of temperature, pH level, scale, and electrode metal type were analyzed individually per solution and in combination to produce the overall effect. F-Test and Tukey-Kramer post-hoc tests were employed to derive the maximum electrochemical oxidation ability for different variables. Results indicate that at the 95% confidence level, temperatures below 25˚C, pH levels below 4, larger scale, and higher reactivity metal plates produce the highest electrochemical oxidation magnitude. Overall analysis comparing the combined optimal conditions with the control group yielded an approximately 50% greater concentration reduction magnitude. Future directions include the implementation of electrochemical oxidation as a pretreatment appliance in the household using our optimal conditions and exploring other manipulative variables to increase the flexibility and efficiency of such devices.
