Liquid Dosimeter with kGy Sensitivity for the Characterization of a new Module for EB Wastewater Treatment

Pharmaceuticals such as antibiotics, X-ray contrast agents, and hormones are essential for the protection of public health. However, due to their high usage and consumption, these highly persistent micropollutants have infiltrated hospital and municipal effluents. Pharmaceuticals enter the aquatic environment through their production, incorrect disposal, and patient use and excretion [1]. In Germany alone, an estimate of 16,000 tons/year of pharmaceuticals are unused and therefore disposed of, with about 60-80% being flushed down the toilet or discarded with regular household waste [2]. When ingested, only a number of these pharmaceuticals are metabolized in the body, while the remaining fraction remains unchanged after excretion, thereby making its way to effluents.