Removal efficiency of penicillin G in horizontal subsurface flow wetlands

Antibiotics are potential pollutants that represent an important environmental problem because of their toxic effects on the food chain and aqueous streams. The goal of this study was determining the efficiency of a horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetland for a pharmaceutical pollutants antibiotic penicillin G. This study used constructed wetland pilot system for removal of penicillin G in artificial wastewater.in this study, the effects of initial concentration of wastewater, hydraulic retention time and reed on the pollutant removal efficiency were investigated. The data was analyzed using the central composite design which is the most commonly used response surface methodology design. 30 Samples of wastewater were taken from the output of constructed wetlands subsurface and tested in laboratory based on the standard reference method for experiments in water and wastewater. The results showed that reed, and retention time, has a direct relationship, and enhance them to increase efficiency. The initial concentration of wastewater is inversely related to removal efficiency. In the constructed wetland, the removal efficiency for 72 hours and different input concentrations was between 94.17% and 73.61%. Based on the study results, it can be stated that subsurface constructed wetland can remove the maximum concentration of hospital wastewater and even double this concentration with efficiency up to 90 percent, and it can be used as a proper treatment system for removal of penicillin G.