Treatment of Pharmaceutical Wastewater Using Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus Ostreatus)

Pharmaceutical wastewater contains hazardous contaminants, including analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs, which pose significant environmental and health risks. Conventional treatment methods are often costly and inefficient, necessitating sustainable alternatives. This study evaluated the biosorption potential of whole-cell and powdered oyster mushrooms ( Pleurotus ostreatus ) for removing diclofenac, paracetamol, and ibuprofen from pharmaceutical wastewater. The mushroom spawn, Pleurotus ostreatus was obtained from Robert Enterprise which is an accredited supplier of mushrooms in Ashanti Region, Ghana. The mushrooms were cultivated, processed into whole-cell and powdered forms, and used as biosorbents in varying dosages (3 g and 6 g) and contact times (3 and 6 days). The results showed that powdered oyster mushrooms had higher removal efficiencies compared to whole-cell mushrooms, attributed to their increased surface area and enhanced adsorption capacity. Optimal removal was achieved at 3 g of powdered mushroom and 3 days of treatment, with diclofenac exhibiting the highest removal rates (87.11%), followed by paracetamol (60.98%) and ibuprofen (53.20%) for pharmaceutical industry A and 67.39% of diclofenac followed by 56.76% of paracetamol and 40.90 removed for pharmaceutical industry B. Increasing biosorbent weight and contact time beyond the optimal levels led to reduced efficiency due to binding site saturation and particle aggregation. The findings suggest that Pleurotus ostreatus is a viable, eco-friendly, and cost-effective biosorbent for pharmaceutical wastewater treatment, offering a sustainable alternative to conventional methods. However, further research is required to optimize large-scale applications and assess biosorbent regeneration potential.