%0 Journal Article %T Optimization of Sequencing Batch Reactor Operating Conditions for Treatment of High-strength Pharmaceutical Wastewater %A Emad S. Elmolla %A Natasha Ramdass %A Malay Chaudhuri %J Journal of Environmental Science and Technology %D 2012 %I Asian Network for Scientific Information %X Optimization of the Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) operating conditions for high-strength non-penicillin pharmaceutical wastewater treatment is a challenging task. Two SBR were operated under different operating conditions. Three different Hydraulic Retention Times (HRT) (12, 24 and 48 h) were tested and operated under high (6000 mg L-1) and low (4000 mg L-1) Mixed Liquor Suspended Solids (MLSS) concentration. Statistical analysis (two-way ANOVA) using SPSS software was applied on the results to evaluate the effect of HRT and MLSS concentration on the SBR performance. The hydraulic retention time of 24 h was found suitable for the SBR and increasing HRT from 12 to 24 h significantly affected the BOD5 removal; however, increasing HRT from 24 to 48 h or increasing MLSS concentration from 4000 to 6000 mg L-1 did not significantly improve the SBR performance in terms of BOD5 removal. Under the optimum operating conditions (HRT 24 h and MLSS 4000 mg L-1), the SBR achieved an efficiency of 94¡À1.3% in terms of BOD5 removal and 83.9¡À1.7% in terms of COD removal, with complete nitrification. %K Non-penicillin pharmaceutical wastewater %K sequencing batch reactor %K optimization %U http://docsdrive.com/pdfs/ansinet/jest/2012/452-459.pdf