Efficient Degradation of Antibiotic Pharmaceutical Sludge and Simultaneous Production of Volatile Fatty Acids via Catalytic Wet Oxidation over Cu–Mn Bimetallic Catalyst

In this study, the efficient degradation of antibiotic pharmaceutical sludge and simultaneous production of volatile fatty acids via catalytic wet oxidation over the Cu-Mn bimetallic catalyst were investigated. The influence of key operational parameters on the degradation performance of sludge was evaluated through a series of experiments, including reaction temperature, reaction time, and oxygen supply. Results indicated that maximum COD and VSS removal efficiencies of 81.2% and 93.8% were attained by the system under optimized conditions. The VFAs generated during sludge degradation were primarily composed of acetic acid and propanoic acid. It is noteworthy that the effluent shows great potential as an exogenous carbon source to enhance nitrogen removal in biological wastewater treatment processes. This study highlights the effectiveness of the Cu-Mn bimetallic catalyst in promoting sludge degradation and offers a promising strategy for carbon source recovery and utilization.