Ecological risk assessment of antibiotics treated by radioactive rays

Removal efficiency of pharmaceuticals with various treatment methods and their toxicological tests were conducted to estimate the variations in toxicity using various organisms. The toxicity of target compounds on various aqueous organisms were conducted. Also, the removal efficiency of gamma-irradiated target compounds and their toxicity change was estimated. Furthermore, gamma-treatment was compared with degradation test with activated sludge and UV treatment due to decide the possibility of gamma-radiation as an alternative decomposing technique for the target compounds. Finally, the removal efficiency and estrogenicity of estrogenic compounds in gamma irradiated wastewater effluent was conducted. As a result, gamma radiation was an effective method for decomposing antibiotics and estrognic compounds. For the toxicity test, P. subcaptitata was found to be a more sensitive organism to evaluate toxicity of antibiotics compared to D. magna and V. fischeri. The concentration of parent compounds and toxicity on algal growth were remarkably reduced by gamma radiation treatment. Also, remained concentration and some byproducts of target compounds after gamma irradiation method was additionally decreased by biodegradation and sorption of activated sludge. In addition, the effect of antibiotics on parental generation of D. magna is continued to the next generation. The sublethal concentration which showed no acute toxic effect have various abnormal effect such as reproduction and somatic growth, and it can reduce the population growth rate. Also, gamma irradiation was also effective method for reducing estrogen compounds remained in wastewater effluent