NIT Rourkela develops bio-based system to remove pharmaceutical contaminants from water

NEW DELHI: National Institute of Technology (NIT) Rourkela researchers have developed a bio-based system to remove pharmaceutical pollutants from wastewater. Led by Angana Sarkar, the NIT Rourkela research team introduced a two-stage process that integrates biochar adsorption and biodegradation to eliminate antibiotics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and synthetic dyes from water sources.

The NIT Rourkela research study has been published in the ‘Journal of Water Process Engineering’. The NIT Rourkela research team includes Angana Sarkar, along with Kasturi Poddar, Debapriya Sarkar, and Pritam Bajirao Patil. Their work addresses the growing issue of pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) in water bodies, which pose risks to human and aquatic health.

Health risks of pharmaceutical contaminants

Pharmaceutical pollutants enter water systems through household sewage, hospital waste, and pharmaceutical manufacturing discharge. These pollutants persist in the environment and bioaccumulate through the food chain. Studies have detected high levels of antibiotics in water bodies, such as the Musi River in Telangana, leading to ecological consequences, including fish mortality and declining bird populations. In humans, exposure to these contaminants can cause liver and kidney damage, hypertension, and antibiotic resistance.

NIT Rourkela: Two-stage water treatment process

To address these concerns, the NIT Rourkela research team developed a system that first uses biochar adsorbents, derived from coco peat and rice straw, to capture antibiotics from wastewater. As per NIT Rourkela, in the second stage a bacterial consortium, including Klebsiella and Pseudomonas strains, breaks down residual pharmaceutical compounds such as diclofenac, paracetamol, and synthetic dyes.

Laboratory tests on synthetic wastewater containing a mix of NSAIDs, antibiotics, and dyes showed over 99.5% antibiotic removal and more than 95% degradation of pharmaceutical dyes and painkillers.

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Cost of the system

Angana Sarkar stated that the integrated system ensures efficient pollutant removal without producing toxic intermediates. The treatment process, which costs approximately Rs. 2.6 per liter, can be further optimized to reduce expenses. Researchers suggest incorporating the system as a tertiary step in existing wastewater treatment plants.

Industrial application

As per NIT Rourkela researchers , the bio-based system can be scaled up in collaboration with pharmaceutical industries. The technology allows for the recovery and purification of antibiotics from biochar, which could reduce pharmaceutical manufacturing costs and make medicines more affordable. Additionally, antibiotic-free biochar could be repurposed as fertilizer, ensuring a zero-waste process.

The project was funded by the Science and Engineering Research Board under the IMPRINT-2 scheme of the Government of India. Research work was conducted in collaboration with Cadila Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Ahmedabad.