Tratamento de efluente hospitalar por processos oxidativos avançados: análise química e ecotoxicológica

Abstract

Hospital effluent constitutes a significant source of emerging contaminants, such as estrogenic hormones and antibiotics, which can compromise environmental quality and public health. This study aimed to treat hospital effluent using different advanced oxidative processes and subsequently evaluate the presence of pharmaceuticals and hormones in the raw and treated samples, as well as to analyze its residual toxicity. The determination of the target compounds was performed by solid-phase extraction (SPE) followed by high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection (HPLC-UV). Relevant concentrations of estradiol (E2), ethinylestradiol (EE2), and cefazolin were detected in the raw effluent, highlighting the complexity of the hospital matrix. The advanced oxidation processes applied showed distinct performances: direct photolysis was less efficient in removing micropollutants, although it was effective in reducing turbidity and phosphorus. The TiO₂/UV process showed intermediate removals, while the UV/H₂O₂ system promoted removals greater than 89% for hormones and complete degradation of cefazolin, in addition to significantly reducing the organic load. Ecotoxicological tests with Artemia salina and Eisenia fetida revealed that, even after treatment, some effluents maintained toxic effects, reinforcing the importance of improving treatment processes and combining chemical and biological analyses in evaluating efficiency.