Removal of Meropenem by using Lemna minor

Abstract

In this paper we presented a case study about the removal of a pharmaceutical contamination (in this case Meropenem) from the environment using organic natural substance (in this case study is Lemna minor). The study proved the efficiency of the used material to remove the contamination of three specific contamination levels of Meropenem. The experimental testing proved the concept, the effect on two vital measures (the chemical oxygen demand – COD, and the root length), which showed improvement in both measures. The degradation mechanism was proven to be not arbitrary by testing the degradation behavior measured practically to four kinetic models. The practical work was found to fit perfectly with the Grau second order model as the simulation work included in the paper shows. Based on this study it can be proven that the dangerous chemicals resulted from the residue of a pharmaceutical substances can be removed efficiently using a totally natural environmental friendly material.