L’objectif principal de ce travail était l’étude et l’optimisation du procédé de lyophilisation en milieu aqueux et organique de l’ibuprofène. Une étude comparative approfondie a été réalisée à différents stades de la fabrication de l’ibuprofène lyophilisé pour les deux formulations étudiées. Cette étude comparative a été menée sur l’étape de formulation, sur le procédé de lyophilisation (congélation, sublimation, désorption) et sur les propriétés finales du produit (humidité, réhydratabilité, aspect…). On a observé, que l’utilisation comme solvant du mélange eutectique A, correspondant à une composition de 20% en TBA + 80% en eau (% massique), permettait une forte augmentation de la solubilité de l’ibuprofène et conduisait pour les mêmes conditions opératoires (Tshelf et Pc), à une augmentation des cinétiques de séchage d’un facteur 1,8, par rapport aux résultats observés avec la formulation d’ibuprofène à base aqueuse. Par ailleurs, la détermination expérimentale des valeurs des pressions de vapeur à l’équilibre solide-vapeur et de l’enthalpie de sublimation a été effectuée par deux méthodes différentes : la méthode thermogravimétrique et la méthode statique. Ces déterminations nous ont permis de conclure que l’augmentation des cinétiques de sublimation résultait essentiellement des valeurs plus élevées de la pression de vapeur à l’équilibre solide-vapeur et d’une valeur plus faible de l’enthalpie de sublimation de l’eutectique A par rapport à la glace. Ces données thermodynamiques ont aussi été utilisées comme paramètres clefs pour la modélisation de l’étape de sublimation sous Comsol Multiphysics. In fine, l’optimisation des paramètres opératoires de l’étape de sublimation par la méthodologie du Design Space a conduit à un lyophilisat final d’ibuprofène formulé à base organique qui satisfait entièrement aux critères standard de qualités recherchés (couleur, aspect, résidus de solvants etc). Un développement industriel de la formulation à base de co-solvant organique apparait plus avantageux qu’avec la formulation à base aqueuse. / The main objective of this work was the study and the optimization of the freeze-drying process of ibuprofen with aqueous and/or organic based formulations. A detailed comparative study was realized at different steps of the ibuprofen freeze-drying process for both types of investigated formulations. This comparative study was realized at the succesives stages of freezing, sublimation and desorption and also concerned some properties of the final freeze-dried product (humidity, rehydratability, aspect…). We observed that the use of eutectic A mixture, corresponding to 20 % TBA + 80 % water (mass %) as co-solvent, allowed a strong increase of the solubility of ibuprofen and for the same operating conditions (Tshelf and Pc), led to an increase of drying kinetics values by a factor 1.8 by comparison to aqueous based formulations of ibuprofen. Besides, the experimental determination of equilibrium solid-vapour pressure and of sublimation enthaly values was carried out by using two different methods: the thermogravimetic method and the static method.These determinations allowed to conclude that the increase of sublimation kinetics resulted essentially from the higher equilibrium solid-vapour pressure values and from the lower sublimation enthalpy value of eutectic A by camparison to pure ice values. Next, these thermodynamical data were used as key parameters in the modelling of the sublimation stage under Comsol Multiphysics. In fine, the overall optimization of the operating parameters of sublimation stage was achieved by using the Design Space aproach. It proved that the organic based formulation led to final freeze-died cakes which fulfilled largely the main quality criteria (color, aspect, solvents residues, etc.). Thus, the development of an ibuprofen freeze-drying process with organic based formulation seems more advantageous than an aqueous based formulation process.

Pharmaceuticals are group of organic substances with significant worldwide consumption in human and veterinary medicine. These compounds may be metabolized in the organism, but in some cases they remain unchanged and both are usually excreted via renal excretion in the native form or as metabolites. Large quantities of pharmaceuticals and their metabolites contaminate municipal wastewater. The wastewater treatment plants are unable to remove these substances completely, so they contaminate surface water, groundwater and soil as well. Due to the biological activity of pharmaceuticals, long - term effect may cause bacterial resistance, endocrine influence, DNA and renal damages in non-target organisms. The phytoextraction and the translocation of radiolabeled diclofenac with 125 I were experimentally studied by using of in vitro cultivated plants Helianthus annuus and Zea mays. Efficiency od phytoextraction was monitored as decrease of radioactivity of tested substance [125 I]diclofenac in Murashige-Skoog cultivation medium. Both species are able to extract tested substance during 8 to 10 days of cultivation, with efficiency approximately 85 % using Zea mays and 79 % using Helianthus annuus. Better extraction ability of diclofenac was observed at Helianthus annuus - 80 mg/ kg of dry weight compared...

A maioria dos agentes terapêuticos, frequentemente prescritos são formulados e comercializados sob a forma racêmica, embora para alguns deles, já tenha sido demonstrado que os efeitos farmacológicos e ou tóxicos estejam relacionados apenas a um dos enantiômeros. Além disso, é conhecido o fato de que os enantiômeros podem apresentar perfis farmacocinéticos e farmacodinâmicos diferentes. O estudo avaliou a influência da exposição inalatória ao vapor de gasolina e ao etanol combustível na farmacocinética enantiosseletiva dos fármacos verapamil, ibuprofeno e fluoxetina. Ratos machos Wistar foram divididos em 09 grupos: controle, gasolina, etanol combustível. A exposição aos solventes foi realizada em câmara de exposição do tipo apenas pelo nariz, durante 6 horas/dia, cinco dias por semana, durante 6 semanas. A análise das AUCs foram calculadas diretamente no intervalo de zero a infinito com base na Quadratura de Gauss- Laguerre. As concentrações correspondentes aos tempos foram estimadas por interpolação polinomial. A comparação dos valores de AUC e Cl/f obtidos para cada fármaco e para cada Grupo exposto e seu respectivo Controle, foi realizada através da construção de Intervalos de Confiança, ao nível de 95%. A farmacocinética do verapamil, do ibuprofeno e da fluoxetina é enantiosseletiva. Os dados mostram que a exposição inalatória de ratos ao etanol combustível na concentração de 2 LEOSTEL mostrou indução do CYP2C através da redução do AUC e do aumento do clearance aparente do enantiômero (+)-(S)-ibuprofeno, inibição do CYP2D indicada pelo aumento da AUC e redução do clearance aparente do enantiômero (-)-(R)- fluoxetina e indução do CYP3A evidenciada por redução dos valores de AUC e aumento dos valores de clearance aparente de ambos os enantiômeros do verapamil. A exposição inalatória de ratos à gasolina na concentração de 2-LEOTWA também mostrou indução do CYP2C denotada pela redução do AUC e do aumento do clearance aparente de ambos os enantiômeros do ibuprofeno, inibição do CYP2D indicada pelo aumento dos valores de AUC e redução dos valores de clearance aparente de ambos enantiômeros da fluoxetina e, em não alteração do CYP3A evidenciada pela obtenção de valores de AUC e clearance aparente do verapamil similares aos do grupo controle. / Most therapeutic agents frequently used are formulated and sold under the racemic form, although for some of them, it has been demonstrated that the pharmacological or toxic and are associated only with one of the enantiomers. The study evaluated the influence of inhalation exposure to vapor of gasoline and ethanol in the enantioselective pharmacokinetics of the drug verapamil, ibuprofen and fluoxetine. Male Wistar rats were divided into 09 groups: control, gasoline, ethanol. The exposure was carried out in solvent exposure chamber by nose only exposure system for 6 hours / day, five days per week for six weeks. The analysis of the AUC were calculated directly in the range of zero to infinity on the basis of Quadrature Gauss-Laguerre. The concentrations corresponding to the times were estimated by polynomial interpolation. The comparison of AUC and Cl/f obtained for each drug and for each exposed group and its respective control, was accomplished through the construction of confidence intervals, at 95%. In conclusion, the pharmacokinetics of verapamil, ibuprofen and fluoxetine is enantioselective. The data show that inhalation exposure of rats to ethanol at a concentration of 2-LEO STEL showed induction CYP2C by reducing of the AUC and increase the apparent clearance of the enantiomer (+)-(S)-ibuprofen, inhibition of CYP2D indicated AUC increase and the reduction in the apparent clearance of the enantiomer (-)-(R)-fluoxetine and CYP3A induction as evidenced by reduction in AUC and increase and the values of apparent clearance of both enantiomers of verapamil. Inhalation exposure of rats to gasoline in a concentration of 2-LEO-TWA also showed induction CYP2C denoted by the reduction of AUC and increase and the apparent clearance of both enantiomers of ibuprofen, inhibition of CYP2D indicated by the increase in AUC and reduction values of apparent clearance of both enantiomers of fluoxetine and does not change the CYP3A evidenced by obtaining AUC and apparent clearance of verapamil similar to the control group.

Objetivos: Avaliar o comportamento da pressão arterial (PA) e da frequência cardíaca (FC) durante a fase de dor da migrânea em pacientes sem hipertensão arterial sistêmica (HAS). Avaliar essas variáveis em função da intensidade de dor e se elas sofrem influência do uso agudo de ibuprofeno. Métodos: Dez pacientes (nove mulheres), entre 21 e 43 anos, com diagnóstico de migrânea foram selecionados. Todos tinham diagnóstico de migrânea sem aura e quatro deles também tinha diagnóstico de migrânea com aura. Eles apresentavam de 3 a 11 dias de dor por mês, não tinham qualquer outro problema de saúde e não estavam em tratamento profilático para migrânea. Além disso, não utilizavam medicamentos que pudessem interferir na PA ou FC. Os pacientes foram submetidos à anamnese e exame físico. Para descartar HAS, foram submetidos a medições convencionais da PA e Medidas Ambulatoriais da Pressão Arterial por 24h. A aquisição das medidas de PA e FC nos períodos livres de dor (interictal) foram realizadas por meio de Medidas Residenciais da Pressão Arterial (MRPA) por quatro a cinco dias consecutivos, com a obtenção de seis medidas ao dia. Para a aquisição das medidas de PA e FC no período de dor da migrânea (ictal), os pacientes foram orientados a fazer MRPA a cada 10 minutos nas duas primeiras horas de dor e, após, a cada 15 minutos até o final da crise. Ainda, deveriam assinalar em um tipo de diário de cefaleia as características da dor a cada hora. Permitiu-se o uso de 400mg de ibuprofeno como tratamento de resgate após o final da segunda hora de dor. Para análise estatística, comparamos os valores de pressão arterial sistólica (PAS), pressão arterial diastólica (PAD), pressão arterial média (PAM) e FC realizadas no período interictal com as realizadas no período ictal. As variáveis obtidas durante a cefaleia foram comparadas em função da intensidade de dor e em função do uso de ibuprofeno. Resultados: As médias de PAS, PAD, PAM do período ictal foram significativamente menores que as do período interictal (p0,01). Comparando as médias dos valores de PAS, PAD, PAM e FC do período interictal com as do período ictal divididas por hora para as primeiras quatro horas de dor, observamos que houve uma redução progressiva dos valores de PAS, PAD e PAM durante todo esse período (p0,01). Quanto à FC, observamos que houve aumento de seus valores na primeira hora de dor (p0,02). Houve uma tendência de redução dos valores das médias de PAS, PAD e PAM nas dores de moderada e forte intensidade. Com relação ao ibuprofeno, não notamos diferenças nas variáveis. Conclusões: Durante a fase de dor da migrânea ocorre uma redução da PA desde a primeira hora de dor. Por outro lado, há um aumento dos valores da FC apenas na primeira hora de dor. Houve uma tendência de que os valores de PA reduzissem à medida que a dor progredisse de leve para moderada e forte intensidades. O uso de 400mg de ibuprofeno não promoveu alterações nas variáveis analisadas. / Objectives: To analyse the behavior of blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) during migraine headache in patients without hypertension (HBP). To assess the values of BP and HR according to the intensity of pain, and to check if those variable are influenced by 400 mg of ibuprofen. Methods: Ten patients (nine women), 21 to 43 years-old, with migraine diagnosis were select. All of them had migraine without aura and four of them also had migraine with aura. They had from 3 to 11 days of headache a month, no other healthy problem, and werent on migraine prophylactic treatment. Also, they werent using other drugs that could interfere on BP and HR. Patients were submitted to anamnesis and physical examination. Hypertension was ruled out through office and ambulatory BP measurements for 24 hours. To obtain the values of pain-free period, BP and HR were measured through home measurements which were done from 4 to 5 consecutives days, 6 times a day. To obtain the values of migraine headache period, patients were asked to measure their BP and HR from the beginning to the end of the attack. During the first two hour of pain, they should do the measures each 10 minutes, and after that each 15 minutes until the end of the attack. During the last procedure, patients should write in a kind of headache diary their headache characteristics each hour. Using of 400 mg of ibuprofen was just allowed at the end of the second hour of pain. To statistical analysis, the values of systolic (SBP), diastolic DBP), mean (MBP) blood pressure and HR from pain-free period were compared with the values of these variables from headache period. The values of these variables from headache period were also compared according the intensity of pain and the intake of ibuprofen. Results: The mean values of SBP, DBP and MBP from headache period were statistically lower than those from pain-free period (p0,01). Comparing mean values of SBP, DBP, MBP and HR from pain-free period to means from the headache period, separated by hour, for the first 4 hours of pain, we verified there were a progressive reduction of SBP, DBP, MBP during this phase (p0,01). About the HR, we noticed its values raised during the first hour of pain (p0,02). There was a trend of SBP, DBP and MBP values to be lower during moderate and severe pain. Regarding the use of ibuprofen, we didnt notice differences on BP or HR values. Conclusions: During migraine headache, BP values are lower since the first hour of pain. On the other hand, HR values were different just in the first hour of pain where they were higher. There was a trend of BP lowering as the pain progressed from mild to moderate and severe intensity. Ibuprofen (400 mg) didn\'t change the variables values.

Various recent studies have suggested that regular intake of some non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have a preventative effect against several types of tumours including breast cancer. The term nanotechnology refers to technology in which one-billionth of a meter is used as a scale for chemical particle size. This work aims to study the effect of both ibuprofen and aspirin on DNA damage using peripheral blood lymphocytes from breast cancer patients and comparing the results with those from healthy females as a control using the Comet and micronucleus assays. Western blot analysis (WBA) was used to investigate the effect of these drugs on XRCC3 and p53 proteins, whereas QPCR was to evaluate this effect on p53, cox1 and cox2 genes. Two hundred fifty ng/ml of ibuprofen (NP and bulk) and 500 ng/ml of aspirin (NP and bulk) were used to treat the lymphocytes. Both aspirin and ibuprofen caused a reduction in DNA damage and micronucleus formation. Aspirin, both forms, showed a reduction in DNA damage in the Comet and micronucleus assays. Ibuprofen both forms, by contrast, showed a statistically significant reduction in micronucleus frequency in the micronucleus assay, while its preventative effect with the Comet assay was weak or insignificant. NPs of both agents were more effective than bulk sizes. Using the Comet repair assay, aspirin and ibuprofen nano form catalysed DNA repair to a greater extent than their bulk forms. Also, both sizes showed better repair with NSAIDs compared to samples repaired without NSAIDs. In WBA aspirin increased the expression of XRCC3 protein in healthy cells. However, both NSAIDs decreased that expression in cells from BC patients. Furthermore, aspirin increased p53 expression in BC patients lymphocytes. With the QPCR method, results of both aspirin forms increased the expression of the p53 gene in BC patient cells statistically significantly. Both drugs reduced cox1 expression in healthy volunteers and cancer patients lymphocytes. Moreover, cox2 reduction was only in lymphocytes from BC patients. The results of this work are consistent with the view that NSAIDs, particularly aspirin and ibuprofen, could have a promising role in cancer treatment including breast cancer.

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products are a growing concern in the aquatic environment. Compounds from the class of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are commonly detected in surface waters and have the potential to negatively affect aquatic organisms. The purpose of this experiment was to determine the acute and chronic effects of ibuprofen on rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Cyclooxygenase (COX) activity, vitellogenin (VTG) concentration and ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity were evaluated following waterborne ibuprofen exposure of trout to 1 and 10 mg/L in the acute exposure and 1, 32 and 1000 μg/L in the chronic exposure, along with an experimental control, E2 control of 1000 μg/L and an E2-ibuprofen mixed treatment. Ibuprofen did not inhibit COX enzyme activity in either gill or kidney tissue. To evaluate the estrogenic effects of ibuprofen, VTG concentrations were measured; by the end of the 56 day chronic exposure VTG concentrations significantly increased in all of the ibuprofen treatments relative to the controls. EROD activity may have been inhibited by ibuprofen but definitive conclusions could not be made. These findings indicate that more research needs to be done studying ibuprofen in aquatic systems. / UOIT

A bench-scale study of the degradation of four selected pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) was carried out using UV and UV/H₂O₂ treatment employing low pressure (LP) and medium pressure (MP) lamps. The target substances included the pharmaceutical compounds ibuprofen, naproxen, and gemfibrozil, along with the bactericide triclosan. There were four main objectives of the study, as follows: to evaluate the removal of the target compounds using UV irradiation alone and UV/H₂O₂, to determine the reaction kinetics for direct and indirect photolysis of each selected compound, to determine the influence of major water quality parameters on the efficacy of treatment, and to compare the applied UV and UV/H₂O₂ doses to those that have been found to be effective for disinfection and removal of taste and odour compounds, respectively. For initial ultra-pure water experiments the target compounds were spiked at concentrations of approximately 250 µg/L (~1 µM). In latter ultra-pure water experiments and in the partially-treated water experiments, the selected PPCPs were spiked at a lower range (c~500-1000 ng/L), which is more representative of reported environmental concentrations. In an ultra-pure water matrix, a high LP fluence of 1000 mJ/cm² caused only triclosan to substantially degrade. Furthermore, with LP-UV/H₂O₂ only triclosan and naproxen had average percent removals above 60% at a typical disinfection fluence of 40 mJ/cm² with 100 mg/L H₂O₂. Complete degradation of all four compounds in ultra-pure water was achieved with very high fluences (compared to those used for UV disinfection) with MP-UV alone (at or above 1000 mJ/cm²) or with relatively high fluences for MP-UV/H₂O₂ (200-300 mJ/cm²) with 10 mg/L H₂O₂. Overall, when compared at similar applied fluences, the MP lamp was much more effective than the LP lamp. Furthermore, the addition of H₂O₂ typically increased removal rates, in some cases substantially, through formation and subsequent reaction of the PPCP with the •OH radical. When target substances were treated all together in an ultra-pure water solution, removals were lower than when they were treated independently at the same individual concentrations (~250 µg/L) this may simply have been the result of a higher total contaminant concentration in solution, which lessened the availability of the •OH radical and incident UV irradiation for degradation of all compounds. On the other hand, removals were improved when the combined target compounds were present at a lower individual concentration range (~750 ng/L), which suggests that removals may be concentration driven, with reduced matrix effects seen at lower overall contaminant concentrations. Furthermore, during the partially-treated water experiments, variability in treatment performance was observed with differing water quality; however, it was not evident which specific quality parameters influenced treatment effectiveness. On the other hand, substantial and sometimes complete, degradation of the target compounds was still seen in the partially-treated water with high MP-UV/H₂O₂ doses (e.g. 300 mJ/cm² + 10 mg/L H₂O₂ and 500 + 10 mg/L H₂O₂). For the kinetic experiments, compounds were spiked individually in ultra-pure water (c~250 µg/L = ~1µM). The photolysis of the target compounds during treatment was assumed to be a pseudo-first-order reaction. Kinetic parameters were determined for both direct and indirect photolysis for both lamps. The calculated rate constants confirmed the importance of •OH radicals for degradation of these compounds, especially for ibuprofen and gemfibrozil. For ibuprofen and gemfibrozil, direct photolysis rate constants could not be determined for LP-UV because very little degradation was seen at the fluences tested. LP-UV direct phototlysis rate constants for naproxen and triclosan were 0.0002 and 0.0033 cm²/mJ, respectively. Overall rate constants describing degradation of the four compounds due to LP-UV/H₂O₂ ranged from 0.0049 to 0.0124 cm²/mJ. All four compounds had fluence-based reaction rate constants for MP-UV indirect photolysis of approximately 0.01 cm²/mJ, while MP-UV direct photolysis rate constants ranged between 0.0007-0.007 cm²/mJ, with ibuprofen having the lowest and triclosan the highest. The overall trends were similar to those seen by other researchers for the removal of taste and odour compounds. For example, fluences required for substantial removal were much higher than typical disinfection doses, the MP lamp was more effective than the LP lamp (when compared solely on a fluence-basis), and the addition of H₂O₂ improved removals. On the whole, UV/H₂O₂ appears to be a very promising technology for the removal of these selected PPCPs during drinking water treatment, and is likely to be equally effective for other, similar contaminants.

A bench-scale study of the degradation of four selected pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) was carried out using UV and UV/H₂O₂ treatment employing low pressure (LP) and medium pressure (MP) lamps. The target substances included the pharmaceutical compounds ibuprofen, naproxen, and gemfibrozil, along with the bactericide triclosan. There were four main objectives of the study, as follows: to evaluate the removal of the target compounds using UV irradiation alone and UV/H₂O₂, to determine the reaction kinetics for direct and indirect photolysis of each selected compound, to determine the influence of major water quality parameters on the efficacy of treatment, and to compare the applied UV and UV/H₂O₂ doses to those that have been found to be effective for disinfection and removal of taste and odour compounds, respectively. For initial ultra-pure water experiments the target compounds were spiked at concentrations of approximately 250 µg/L (~1 µM). In latter ultra-pure water experiments and in the partially-treated water experiments, the selected PPCPs were spiked at a lower range (c~500-1000 ng/L), which is more representative of reported environmental concentrations. In an ultra-pure water matrix, a high LP fluence of 1000 mJ/cm² caused only triclosan to substantially degrade. Furthermore, with LP-UV/H₂O₂ only triclosan and naproxen had average percent removals above 60% at a typical disinfection fluence of 40 mJ/cm² with 100 mg/L H₂O₂. Complete degradation of all four compounds in ultra-pure water was achieved with very high fluences (compared to those used for UV disinfection) with MP-UV alone (at or above 1000 mJ/cm²) or with relatively high fluences for MP-UV/H₂O₂ (200-300 mJ/cm²) with 10 mg/L H₂O₂. Overall, when compared at similar applied fluences, the MP lamp was much more effective than the LP lamp. Furthermore, the addition of H₂O₂ typically increased removal rates, in some cases substantially, through formation and subsequent reaction of the PPCP with the •OH radical. When target substances were treated all together in an ultra-pure water solution, removals were lower than when they were treated independently at the same individual concentrations (~250 µg/L) this may simply have been the result of a higher total contaminant concentration in solution, which lessened the availability of the •OH radical and incident UV irradiation for degradation of all compounds. On the other hand, removals were improved when the combined target compounds were present at a lower individual concentration range (~750 ng/L), which suggests that removals may be concentration driven, with reduced matrix effects seen at lower overall contaminant concentrations. Furthermore, during the partially-treated water experiments, variability in treatment performance was observed with differing water quality; however, it was not evident which specific quality parameters influenced treatment effectiveness. On the other hand, substantial and sometimes complete, degradation of the target compounds was still seen in the partially-treated water with high MP-UV/H₂O₂ doses (e.g. 300 mJ/cm² + 10 mg/L H₂O₂ and 500 + 10 mg/L H₂O₂). For the kinetic experiments, compounds were spiked individually in ultra-pure water (c~250 µg/L = ~1µM). The photolysis of the target compounds during treatment was assumed to be a pseudo-first-order reaction. Kinetic parameters were determined for both direct and indirect photolysis for both lamps. The calculated rate constants confirmed the importance of •OH radicals for degradation of these compounds, especially for ibuprofen and gemfibrozil. For ibuprofen and gemfibrozil, direct photolysis rate constants could not be determined for LP-UV because very little degradation was seen at the fluences tested. LP-UV direct phototlysis rate constants for naproxen and triclosan were 0.0002 and 0.0033 cm²/mJ, respectively. Overall rate constants describing degradation of the four compounds due to LP-UV/H₂O₂ ranged from 0.0049 to 0.0124 cm²/mJ. All four compounds had fluence-based reaction rate constants for MP-UV indirect photolysis of approximately 0.01 cm²/mJ, while MP-UV direct photolysis rate constants ranged between 0.0007-0.007 cm²/mJ, with ibuprofen having the lowest and triclosan the highest. The overall trends were similar to those seen by other researchers for the removal of taste and odour compounds. For example, fluences required for substantial removal were much higher than typical disinfection doses, the MP lamp was more effective than the LP lamp (when compared solely on a fluence-basis), and the addition of H₂O₂ improved removals. On the whole, UV/H₂O₂ appears to be a very promising technology for the removal of these selected PPCPs during drinking water treatment, and is likely to be equally effective for other, similar contaminants.

A bench-scale study of the degradation of four selected pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) was carried out using UV and UV/H₂O₂ treatment employing low pressure (LP) and medium pressure (MP) lamps. The target substances included the pharmaceutical compounds ibuprofen, naproxen, and gemfibrozil, along with the bactericide triclosan. There were four main objectives of the study, as follows: to evaluate the removal of the target compounds using UV irradiation alone and UV/H₂O₂, to determine the reaction kinetics for direct and indirect photolysis of each selected compound, to determine the influence of major water quality parameters on the efficacy of treatment, and to compare the applied UV and UV/H₂O₂ doses to those that have been found to be effective for disinfection and removal of taste and odour compounds, respectively. For initial ultra-pure water experiments the target compounds were spiked at concentrations of approximately 250 µg/L (~1 µM). In latter ultra-pure water experiments and in the partially-treated water experiments, the selected PPCPs were spiked at a lower range (c~500-1000 ng/L), which is more representative of reported environmental concentrations. In an ultra-pure water matrix, a high LP fluence of 1000 mJ/cm² caused only triclosan to substantially degrade. Furthermore, with LP-UV/H₂O₂ only triclosan and naproxen had average percent removals above 60% at a typical disinfection fluence of 40 mJ/cm² with 100 mg/L H₂O₂. Complete degradation of all four compounds in ultra-pure water was achieved with very high fluences (compared to those used for UV disinfection) with MP-UV alone (at or above 1000 mJ/cm²) or with relatively high fluences for MP-UV/H₂O₂ (200-300 mJ/cm²) with 10 mg/L H₂O₂. Overall, when compared at similar applied fluences, the MP lamp was much more effective than the LP lamp. Furthermore, the addition of H₂O₂ typically increased removal rates, in some cases substantially, through formation and subsequent reaction of the PPCP with the •OH radical. When target substances were treated all together in an ultra-pure water solution, removals were lower than when they were treated independently at the same individual concentrations (~250 µg/L) this may simply have been the result of a higher total contaminant concentration in solution, which lessened the availability of the •OH radical and incident UV irradiation for degradation of all compounds. On the other hand, removals were improved when the combined target compounds were present at a lower individual concentration range (~750 ng/L), which suggests that removals may be concentration driven, with reduced matrix effects seen at lower overall contaminant concentrations. Furthermore, during the partially-treated water experiments, variability in treatment performance was observed with differing water quality; however, it was not evident which specific quality parameters influenced treatment effectiveness. On the other hand, substantial and sometimes complete, degradation of the target compounds was still seen in the partially-treated water with high MP-UV/H₂O₂ doses (e.g. 300 mJ/cm² + 10 mg/L H₂O₂ and 500 + 10 mg/L H₂O₂). For the kinetic experiments, compounds were spiked individually in ultra-pure water (c~250 µg/L = ~1µM). The photolysis of the target compounds during treatment was assumed to be a pseudo-first-order reaction. Kinetic parameters were determined for both direct and indirect photolysis for both lamps. The calculated rate constants confirmed the importance of •OH radicals for degradation of these compounds, especially for ibuprofen and gemfibrozil. For ibuprofen and gemfibrozil, direct photolysis rate constants could not be determined for LP-UV because very little degradation was seen at the fluences tested. LP-UV direct phototlysis rate constants for naproxen and triclosan were 0.0002 and 0.0033 cm²/mJ, respectively. Overall rate constants describing degradation of the four compounds due to LP-UV/H₂O₂ ranged from 0.0049 to 0.0124 cm²/mJ. All four compounds had fluence-based reaction rate constants for MP-UV indirect photolysis of approximately 0.01 cm²/mJ, while MP-UV direct photolysis rate constants ranged between 0.0007-0.007 cm²/mJ, with ibuprofen having the lowest and triclosan the highest. The overall trends were similar to those seen by other researchers for the removal of taste and odour compounds. For example, fluences required for substantial removal were much higher than typical disinfection doses, the MP lamp was more effective than the LP lamp (when compared solely on a fluence-basis), and the addition of H₂O₂ improved removals. On the whole, UV/H₂O₂ appears to be a very promising technology for the removal of these selected PPCPs during drinking water treatment, and is likely to be equally effective for other, similar contaminants.

A bench-scale study of the degradation of four selected pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) was carried out using UV and UV/H₂O₂ treatment employing low pressure (LP) and medium pressure (MP) lamps. The target substances included the pharmaceutical compounds ibuprofen, naproxen, and gemfibrozil, along with the bactericide triclosan. There were four main objectives of the study, as follows: to evaluate the removal of the target compounds using UV irradiation alone and UV/H₂O₂, to determine the reaction kinetics for direct and indirect photolysis of each selected compound, to determine the influence of major water quality parameters on the efficacy of treatment, and to compare the applied UV and UV/H₂O₂ doses to those that have been found to be effective for disinfection and removal of taste and odour compounds, respectively. For initial ultra-pure water experiments the target compounds were spiked at concentrations of approximately 250 µg/L (~1 µM). In latter ultra-pure water experiments and in the partially-treated water experiments, the selected PPCPs were spiked at a lower range (c~500-1000 ng/L), which is more representative of reported environmental concentrations. In an ultra-pure water matrix, a high LP fluence of 1000 mJ/cm² caused only triclosan to substantially degrade. Furthermore, with LP-UV/H₂O₂ only triclosan and naproxen had average percent removals above 60% at a typical disinfection fluence of 40 mJ/cm² with 100 mg/L H₂O₂. Complete degradation of all four compounds in ultra-pure water was achieved with very high fluences (compared to those used for UV disinfection) with MP-UV alone (at or above 1000 mJ/cm²) or with relatively high fluences for MP-UV/H₂O₂ (200-300 mJ/cm²) with 10 mg/L H₂O₂. Overall, when compared at similar applied fluences, the MP lamp was much more effective than the LP lamp. Furthermore, the addition of H₂O₂ typically increased removal rates, in some cases substantially, through formation and subsequent reaction of the PPCP with the •OH radical. When target substances were treated all together in an ultra-pure water solution, removals were lower than when they were treated independently at the same individual concentrations (~250 µg/L) this may simply have been the result of a higher total contaminant concentration in solution, which lessened the availability of the •OH radical and incident UV irradiation for degradation of all compounds. On the other hand, removals were improved when the combined target compounds were present at a lower individual concentration range (~750 ng/L), which suggests that removals may be concentration driven, with reduced matrix effects seen at lower overall contaminant concentrations. Furthermore, during the partially-treated water experiments, variability in treatment performance was observed with differing water quality; however, it was not evident which specific quality parameters influenced treatment effectiveness. On the other hand, substantial and sometimes complete, degradation of the target compounds was still seen in the partially-treated water with high MP-UV/H₂O₂ doses (e.g. 300 mJ/cm² + 10 mg/L H₂O₂ and 500 + 10 mg/L H₂O₂). For the kinetic experiments, compounds were spiked individually in ultra-pure water (c~250 µg/L = ~1µM). The photolysis of the target compounds during treatment was assumed to be a pseudo-first-order reaction. Kinetic parameters were determined for both direct and indirect photolysis for both lamps. The calculated rate constants confirmed the importance of •OH radicals for degradation of these compounds, especially for ibuprofen and gemfibrozil. For ibuprofen and gemfibrozil, direct photolysis rate constants could not be determined for LP-UV because very little degradation was seen at the fluences tested. LP-UV direct phototlysis rate constants for naproxen and triclosan were 0.0002 and 0.0033 cm²/mJ, respectively. Overall rate constants describing degradation of the four compounds due to LP-UV/H₂O₂ ranged from 0.0049 to 0.0124 cm²/mJ. All four compounds had fluence-based reaction rate constants for MP-UV indirect photolysis of approximately 0.01 cm²/mJ, while MP-UV direct photolysis rate constants ranged between 0.0007-0.007 cm²/mJ, with ibuprofen having the lowest and triclosan the highest. The overall trends were similar to those seen by other researchers for the removal of taste and odour compounds. For example, fluences required for substantial removal were much higher than typical disinfection doses, the MP lamp was more effective than the LP lamp (when compared solely on a fluence-basis), and the addition of H₂O₂ improved removals. On the whole, UV/H₂O₂ appears to be a very promising technology for the removal of these selected PPCPs during drinking water treatment, and is likely to be equally effective for other, similar contaminants.