%0 Journal Article %A F. Javier Benitez and Juan Luis Acero and Francisco J. Real and Gloria Roldan and Francisco Casas %D 2011 %J International Journal of Chemical and Molecular Engineering %B World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology %I Open Science Index 54, 2011 %T A Comparison Study of the Removal of Selected Pharmaceuticals in Waters by Chemical Oxidation Treatments %U https://publications.waset.org/pdf/10993 %V 54 %X The degradation of selected pharmaceuticals in some water matrices was studied by using several chemical treatments. The pharmaceuticals selected were the beta-blocker metoprolol, the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory naproxen, the antibiotic amoxicillin, and the analgesic phenacetin; and their degradations were conducted by using UV radiation alone, ozone, Fenton-s reagent, Fenton-like system, photo-Fenton system, and combinations of UV radiation and ozone with H2O2, TiO2, Fe(II), and Fe(III). The water matrices, in addition to ultra-pure water, were a reservoir water, a groundwater, and two secondary effluents from two municipal WWTP. The results reveal that the presence of any second oxidant enhanced the oxidation rates, with the systems UV/TiO2 and O3/TiO2 providing the highest degradation rates. It is also observed in most of the investigated oxidation systems that the degradation rate followed the sequence: amoxicillin > naproxen > metoprolol > phenacetin. Lower rates were obtained with the pharmaceuticals dissolved in natural waters and secondary effluents due to the organic matter present which consume some amounts of the oxidant agents. %P 470 - 473