Fate of pharmaceuticals and bacteria in stored urine during precipitation and drying of struvite

Experiments were conducted to measure the behaviour of eight pharmaceuticals during urine treatment as part of the project 'SANIRESCH - Sustainable sanitary recycling Eschborn'. Urine was collected from 200 people in a public building via waterless urinals and NoMix toilets. It was then st...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Water science and technology 2012-01, Vol.65 (10), p.1774-1780
Main Authors: Schürmann, B, Everding, W, Montag, D, Pinnekamp, J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bacteria
Drugs
Drying
Magnesium
Magnesium Compounds - chemistry
Nitrogen - urine
Oxygen - urine
Pharmaceutical Preparations - chemistry
Pharmaceutical Preparations - urine
Pharmaceuticals
Phosphates - chemistry
Phosphorus - urine
Precipitation
Public buildings
Sanitary ware
Struvite
Toilets
Urine
Urine - chemistry
Urine - microbiology
Waste Disposal, Fluid
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Summary:Experiments were conducted to measure the behaviour of eight pharmaceuticals during urine treatment as part of the project 'SANIRESCH - Sustainable sanitary recycling Eschborn'. Urine was collected from 200 people in a public building via waterless urinals and NoMix toilets. It was then stored at room temperature at different pH values to analyse the extent to which bacteria and pharmaceuticals are eliminated over time. Although a partial elimination of pharmaceuticals could be detected, the storage at defined pH values cannot be advised. As the persons tested used pharmaceuticals with different structures, in different amounts and at varying intervals, this method of treatment is insufficient for removing them from urine. Precipitating the urine with MgO, washing it with saturated struvite solution and drying it at 30 °C will result in a free-flowing granular powder of struvite (NH(4)MgPO(4)·6H(2)O) that is free of pharmaceuticals and pathogens and can be used as fertiliser and a source of nitrogen, magnesium and phosphorus.
ISSN:0273-1223
1996-9732
DOI:10.2166/wst.2012.041