Case study 10 / 12 · Division I
Division I · Case Study 10
Pharmaceuticals
Advanced Oxidation + MBR + GAC/RO
Pharmaceutical and fine-chemical manufacturing produces complex, batch-variable effluents — high and fluctuating COD, residual actives and antibiotics that inhibit biology, spent solvents, high TDS and swinging pH.
>95%
COD removal
>90%
API breakdown
Reuse
MBR permeate
Selected treatment train
Segregated
→
Equalisation + pH
→
Advanced oxidation
→
Anaerobic
→
MBR (aerobic)
→
GAC / RO polish
→
Reuse
Indicative influent characteristics
COD
mg/L
2,000–30,000
BOD₅:COD
–
0.1–0.4
APIs
mg/L
1–500
TDS
mg/L
2,000–20,000
Total N
mg/L
50–1,200
pH
–
2–11
Typical performance
removal (%)
95%
COD
90%
API
85%
Total N
92%
Reuse
Why this configuration
Advanced oxidation breaks refractory and antibiotic compounds that inhibit biology.
MBR retains slow-growing biomass and delivers a solids-free permeate.
GAC / RO polishing captures trace active ingredients to micro-pollutant limits.
Buffering & segregation tame the wide swings in load, pH and toxicity.
Your sector not listed, or a stream that defies the categories?
KEMISTA characterises the stream and engineers a bespoke train — that is what bench and pilot testing are for.