Removal of ibuprofen, naproxen and 17-β-estradiol in water using L. octovalvis constructed wetlands.

This study was developed to evaluate the removal potential of ibuprofen, naproxen and 17-β-estradiol in artificial wetlands constructed on a laboratory scale, using eight experimental devices planted with L. octovalvis species, tested with gravel substrate and without gravel substrate, which were fortified with synthetic mixtures at concentrations of 1, 2 and 5 mg/L of the three compounds, during a batch exposure time of nine days. The removal efficiency for 17-β-estradiol was 94.5 ± 2.47%, followed by ibuprofen 94.03 ± 1.96% and naproxen 81.57 ± 8.74%, respectively. The treatment with the highest removal was the one performed without the presence of gravel substrate. The highest removal efficiency occurred from the third day of exposure for the three compounds, so it was established as the optimum residence time. The model that best explained the adsorption process of the three compounds studied, was the Langmuir isotherm. The observed results demonstrate that L. octovalvis can be used as a native species in artificial wetlands for the efficient removal of pharmaceutical compounds.