The effects of operating factors on the removal of total ammonia nitrogen and florfenicol antibiotic from synthetic trout fish farm wastewater through nanofiltration

An aquaculture system can be a potentially significant source of antibacterial compounds and ammonia in an aquatic environment. In this study, the removal of total ammonia nitrogen and florfenicol antibiotic from synthetic aqueous wastewater was assessed by applying a commercial TFC (thin film composite) polyamide nanofilter. The effects of pH (6.5-8.5), pressure (4-10 bar), concentration of total ammonia nitrogen (1-9 mg/L), and florfenicol (0.2-5 mg/L) on the removal efficiency of the nanofilter were studied at a constant 70% recovery rate. It was found that by increasing the pH within the range of 6.5 to 8.5, it enhanced the removal efficiency by up to 98% and 100% for total ammonia nitrogen and florfenicol, respectively. With an increase in pressure from 4 to 7 bar, the removal percentage increased and then, it decreased from 7 to 10 bar. The interactions factors did not have significant effects on the both pollutants removal efficiencies. To obtain optimal removal efficiencies, an experimental design and statistical analysis via the response surface method were adopted.