Effect of concentration and hydraulic reaction time on the removal of pharmaceutical compounds in a membrane bioreactor inoculated with activated sludge

We evaluated the effect of pharmaceutical concentration and hydraulic retention time in removal rates and efficiency. We also looked at the microbial community changes in response to higher pharmaceutical concentrations. To do that, we inoculated a membrane bioreactor with activated sludge and fed it with ammonium, acetate, and methanol as main growth substrates. We increased pharmaceutical concentration over time and also hydraulic retention time.