Effectively removing drug residues from wastewater

Removal of active ingredients from the wastewater of a pharmaceutical production facility.

Residues of active ingredients from drug production are one of the greatest challenges in modern industrial wastewater treatment. They resist the usual treatment methods and pose a considerable risk to humans and the environment.

A global biotechnology and pharmaceutical company commissioned EnviroChemie to plan, build and put in operation a wastewater treatment plant for production at a site in South-East Europe. Active residues from drug production must be reliably removed from the wastewater so that it can then be safely discharged into the public sewerage system.

EnviroChemie experts first determined the optimum process combination for removing the active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) from the wastewater in their own laboratory. The wastewater contains complex organic API molecules and excipients of the various medicines produced at the plant. The plant was designed and built in close consultation with the customer. The wastewater is treated using a process combination of Biomar biological processes, Flomar dissolved air flotation and chemical-physical treatment steps. The system solution has a capacity of 46 m3/h.

The new wastewater treatment plant was commissioned in October 2024. Thanks to the innovative solution installed, the purified water can be safely discharged into the public sewage system.

The company uses our digital service platform WaterExpert™ for plant operation. WaterExpert™ records data and assists with analyses, guides workflows and provides information for troubleshooting. We also supply the water chemicals and spare parts, take care of plant maintenance, perform mechanical and electrical maintenance and carry out process and MBR checks.