Journal of North Khorasan

Background & Objectives: The antibiotics are excreted after their effect on the host body and together with other waste disposal are entered the treatment plant processes. Antibiotics prevent the biological wastewater treatment in the plant. Amoxicillin is one of the most common types of antibiotics. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of Amoxicillin on the efficiency of biological wastewater treatment processes in the sequencing batch reactor.

Materials & Methods: This study was conducted a laboratory -scale experimental, which done in pilot study. Experiments were performed in a batch reactor (with an effective volume 2 L), equipped with a diffuser aerator. The reactor was filled with synthetic wastewater samples containing amoxicillin concentration of 0, 50, 100, 150, 200, 250 and 300 mg/L. The efficiency of the system in removal of COD and BOD₅ under various conditions, initial concentration of amoxicillin (0, 50, 100, 150, 200, 250 and 300) was determined and Data were analyzed with SPSS software (version 16) using ANOVA test.

Result: Based on the findings, amoxicillin in 300 mg/L concentration had the least COD removal efficiency. In this concentration of amoxicillin, maximum of the removal efficiency the COD and the BOD5 were 44.4% and 5% respectively. Increasing concentrations of amoxicillin decreased the average amount SOUR.

Conclusion: The results of this study indicated that by increasing the amoxicillin concentration, the COD and BOD₅ removal efficiency is decreased. High concentrations of antibiotics in pharmaceuticals and hospitals wastewater interfere with the activities of biological wastewater treatment.

Key words: Amoxicillin, biological treatment, wastewater, sequencing batch reactor, antibiotic