With growing awareness of the potential harm from pharmaceuticals waste, researchers are investigating new methods to treat this waste by degrading compounds that can adversely affect the environment. In one instance, researchers in India are using spectroscopy to test the efficiency of plasma-based degradation processes in the breakdown of Valsartan, a medication used to treat hypertension and heart failure that is not typically fully metabolized by patients. Ultimately, the intent is to degrade pharmaceutical compounds in wastewater to reduce or eliminate harmful effects on humans and aquatic life.
As reported in a 2020 article in RSC Advances, the researchers used optical emission spectroscopy to test the degradation efficiency of different plasma-jet processes on Valsartan solutions, as the distinct emission peaks of each sample’s reactive species were readily identified.
An Ocean Optics HR series spectrometer collected the response from 200-1100 nm, with a robust optical fiber sampling setup placed near the plasma treatment area. The flexibility and ease of the setup made testing multiple treatment processes simpler to manage.
