Assessment of novel hybrid treatment wetlands as nature‐based solutions for pharmaceutical industry wastewater treatment

Abstract

This study investigated the use of nature‐based solutions for treating real pharmaceutical industry wastewater in Jordan. A pilot‐scale hybrid treatment wetland (TW) equipped with local zeolite was employed, comprising a tidal flow TW and a horizontal subsurface flow TW. This system was efficient in treating pharmaceutical wastewater with removal efficiencies of 61.4%, 52.6%, 60.1%, and 61.9% for chemical oxygen demand, total phosphorus, total nitrogen, and NH4+‐N, respectively. The final effluent met Jordanian standards for the reuse of treated wastewater in irrigation (Class B). Five pharmaceuticals, namely, enrofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, lincomycin, and trimethoprim, demonstrated nearly completed removal (93.6–99.9%). Moderated removal performances (59.2–68.2%) were observed for two compounds, flumequine and sulfaquinoxaline. However, three pharmaceuticals, namely, carbamazepine, diclofenac, and sulfadimidine, showed limited removal performances (1.1–20.5%). This study supported the feasibility of using nature‐based solutions for treating pharmaceutical wastewater and highlighted that future studies are required to optimize this strategy for removing a broader range of pharmaceuticals.