Process for the removal of pharmaceuticals present in wastewater.

Process for the removal of pharmaceuticals present in wastewater using powdered activated carbon (PAC) in a sequential biological reactor coupled to an ultrafiltration membrane chamber. This reactor comprises a first reaction unit operates sequentially and where the PAC is added. The effluent generated from the first unit passes an attached camera including an ultrafiltration membrane with pore size in the range 0.04-0.4 \ mum provided with continuous aeration and permeate which is the final process stream. The PAC is added in order to maximize the removal of contaminants pharmaceuticals, especially those most recalcitrant nature. This process is able to reduce not only organic matter (> 95%) and nutrients (> 75%) but higher yields are also achieved (> 90%) removal of pharmaceuticals present at trace levels (<100 \ mug / L).