Biodegradation of emerging pollutants: focus on pharmaceuticals
Irina Ivshina A B D , Elena Tyumina B and Elena Vikhareva C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Institute of Ecology and Genetics of Microorganisms, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Perm, Russia
B Perm State University, Perm, Russia
C Perm State Pharmaceutical Academy, Perm, Russia
D Tel: + 7 342 280 81 14, Email: ivshina@iegm.ru
Microbiology Australia 39(3) 117-122 https://doi.org/10.1071/MA18037
Published: 7 August 2018
Abstract
A priority environmental problem is pollution and disturbance of natural environments by emerging pollutants ‒ substances of various origins and structures and with known and/or potential ecotoxic effects. One of the most dangerous groups of emerging pollutants is pharmaceutical substances due to their highly stable chemical structure and pronounced biological activity. They are found in soil, bottom sediments, surface, sewage, groundwater and drinking water. Uncontrolled release of pharmaceuticals in open ecosystems is potentially dangerous, entailing environmental consequences. Their negative impacts on living organisms are evident. This has driven the search for effective ways to neutralise persistent pollutants. In Russia, pharmaceutical pollution of the environment has commenced recently and is still presented as research with a local focus. In particular, the dynamics and metabolic mechanisms of pharma pollutants by Rhodococcus actinobacteria, outstanding among other microorganisms for their capacity to degrade a great diversity of degradable pollutants, are most intensively investigated. These studies are implemented at the junction of organic chemistry, molecular biology, biotechnology, and pharmacology. They include a set of interrelated fundamental tasks, such as developing drug detection methods in the cultivation media of microorganisms, elucidating the relationships between the systematic affiliation of microorganisms and their ability to degrade chemically different drug substances, as well as studying the degree of biodegradability and toxic effects of new compounds on the degrading microorganisms, and also the features of their decomposition and co-metabolism. Solving these tasks is important to enable understanding of the environmental fate of pharmaceuticals and to create prerequisites for innovative technical solutions in the advanced treatment of pharmaceutical wastewater. It is also essential for the development of environmentally safe approaches to hazardous pharmaceutical waste management.
References
[1] Bell, K.Y. et al . (2011) Emerging Pollutants. Water Environ. Res. 83, 1906–1984.| Emerging Pollutants.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
[2] Geissen, V. et al . (2015) Emerging pollutants in the environment: a challenge for water resource management. Int. Soil Water Conserv. Res. 3, 57–65.
| Emerging pollutants in the environment: a challenge for water resource management.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
[3] Network of reference laboratories, research centres and related organisations for monitoring of emerging environmental substances (2016) http://www.norman-network.net
[4] aus der Beek, T. et al . (2016) Pharmaceuticals in the environment – global occurrences and perspectives. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 35, 823–835.
| Pharmaceuticals in the environment – global occurrences and perspectives.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
[5] Kolpin, D.W. et al . (2002) Pharmaceuticals, hormones, and other organic wastewater contaminants in U.S. streams, 1999–2000: a national reconnaissance. Environ. Sci. Technol. 36, 1202–1211.
| Pharmaceuticals, hormones, and other organic wastewater contaminants in U.S. streams, 1999–2000: a national reconnaissance.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
[6] Nikiforov, V. et al.. (2014) BASE project 2012–2014: pilot activity to identify sources and flow patterns of pharmaceuticals in St. Petersburg to the Baltic Sea. Helcom. , 1–53.
[7] Narvaez, Jh. and Jimenez, C.C. (2012) Pharmaceutical products in the environment: sources, effects and risks. Vitae, Revista de la facultad de química farmaceutica 19, 93–108.
[8] Archer, E. et al . (2017) The fate of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), endocrine disrupting contaminant (EDCs), metabolites and illicit drugs in a WWTW and environmental waters. Chemosphere 174, 437–446.
| The fate of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), endocrine disrupting contaminant (EDCs), metabolites and illicit drugs in a WWTW and environmental waters.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
[9] EWG (2008) Bottled water quality investigation: test results: chemicals in bottled water. http://www.ewg.org/research/bottled-water-quality-investigation/test-results-chemicals-bottled-water (accessed 3 July 2017).
[10] Stumm-Zollinger, E. and Fair, G.M. (1965) Biodegradation of steroid hormones. J. Water Pollut. Control Fed. 37, 1506–1510.
[11] Hignite, C. and Azarmoff, D.L. (1977) Drugs and drug metabolites as environmental contaminants−chlorophenoxysobutyrate and salicylic-acid in sewage water effluent. Life Sci. 20, 337–341.
| Drugs and drug metabolites as environmental contaminants−chlorophenoxysobutyrate and salicylic-acid in sewage water effluent.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
[12] Richardson, M.L. and Bowron, J. (1985) The fate of pharmaceutical chemicals in the aquatic environment. J. Pharm. Pharmacol. 37, 1–12.
| The fate of pharmaceutical chemicals in the aquatic environment.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
[13] Ternes, T.A. (1998) Occurrence of drugs in German sewage treatment plants and rivers. Water Res. 32, 3245–3260.
| Occurrence of drugs in German sewage treatment plants and rivers.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
[14] Oaks, J.L. et al . (2004) Diclofenac residues as the cause of vulture population declines in Pakistan. Nature 427, 630–633.
| Diclofenac residues as the cause of vulture population declines in Pakistan.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
[15] Richards, N.L. et al . (2011) Qualitative detection of the NSAIDs diclofenac and ibuprofen in the hair of Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra) occupying UK waterways with GC–MS. Eur. J. Wildl. Res. 57, 1107–1114.
| Qualitative detection of the NSAIDs diclofenac and ibuprofen in the hair of Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra) occupying UK waterways with GC–MS.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
[16] Gross-Sorokin, M.Y. et al . (2006) Assessment of feminization of male fish in English rivers by the Environment Agency of England and Wales. Environ. Health Perspect. 114, 147–151.
| Assessment of feminization of male fish in English rivers by the Environment Agency of England and Wales.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
[17] Kidd, K.A. et al . (2007) Collapse of a fish population after exposure to synthetic estrogen. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 104, 8897–8901.
| Collapse of a fish population after exposure to synthetic estrogen.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
[18] An, J. et al . (2009) Ecotoxicological effects of paracetamol on seed germination and seedling development of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). J. Hazard. Mater. 169, 751–757.
| Ecotoxicological effects of paracetamol on seed germination and seedling development of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
[19] Schmidt, W. and Redshaw, C.H. (2015) Evaluation of biological endpoints in crop plants after exposure to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): implications for phytotoxicological assessment of novel contaminants. Ecotoxicol. Environ. Saf. 112, 212–222.
| Evaluation of biological endpoints in crop plants after exposure to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): implications for phytotoxicological assessment of novel contaminants.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
[20] Russkikh, Ya.V. et al . (2014) Medicines in water objects of the Northwest of Russia. Region. Ecolog. 1-2, 77–83.
[21] Barenboim, G.M. et al . (2014) Characteristics of the surface water pollution with drugs residues. Water Sector Russia: Probl. Technol. Manag. 3, 131–141.
[22] Larkin, M.J. et al . (2006) Biodegradation by members of the genus Rhodococcus: biochemistry, physiology, and genetic adaptation. Adv. Appl. Microbiol. 59, 1–29.
| Biodegradation by members of the genus Rhodococcus: biochemistry, physiology, and genetic adaptation.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
[23] Martínková, L. et al . (2009) Biodegradation potential of the genus Rhodococcus. Environ. Int. 35, 162–177.
| Biodegradation potential of the genus Rhodococcus.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
[24] Gauthier, H. et al . (2010) Biodegradation of pharmaceuticals by Rhodococcus rhodochrous and Aspergillus niger growing by co-metabolism. Sci. Total Environ. 408, 1701–1706.
| Biodegradation of pharmaceuticals by Rhodococcus rhodochrous and Aspergillus niger growing by co-metabolism.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
[25] Yoshimoto, T. et al . (2004) Degradation of estrogens by Rhodococcus zopfii and Rhodococcus equi isolates from activated sludge in wastewater treatment plants. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 70, 5283–5289.
| Degradation of estrogens by Rhodococcus zopfii and Rhodococcus equi isolates from activated sludge in wastewater treatment plants.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
[26] O’Grady, D. et al . (2009) Removal of aqueous 17-α-ethinilestradiol by Rhodococcus species. Environ. Eng. Sci. 26, 1393–1400.
| Removal of aqueous 17-α-ethinilestradiol by Rhodococcus species.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
[27] Larcher, S. and Yargeau, V. (2013) Biodegradation of 17-α-ethinilestradiol by heterotrophic bacteria. Environ. Pollut. 173, 17–22.
| Biodegradation of 17-α-ethinilestradiol by heterotrophic bacteria.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
[28] Kim, Y.-U. et al . (2007) Steroid 9α-hydroxylation during testosterone degradation by resting Rhodococcus equi cells. Arch. Pharm. 340, 209–214.
| Steroid 9α-hydroxylation during testosterone degradation by resting Rhodococcus equi cells.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
[29] Evangelista, S. et al . (2008) The recalcitrance of clofibric acid to microbial degradation. Water Pollut. 9, 273–278.
| The recalcitrance of clofibric acid to microbial degradation.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
[30] Catalogue of Strains of Regional Specialized Collection of Alkanotrophic Microorganisms. http://www.iegmcol.ru/strains/index.html (accessed 3 July 2017).
[31] Ivshina, I.B. et al . (2012) Biodegradation of drotaverine hydrochloride by free and immobilized cells of Rhodococcus rhodochrous IEGM 608. World J. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 28, 2997–3006.
| Biodegradation of drotaverine hydrochloride by free and immobilized cells of Rhodococcus rhodochrous IEGM 608.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
[32] Ivshina, I.B. et al . (2015) Drotaverine hydrochloride degradation using cyst-like dormant cells of Rhodococcus ruber. Curr. Microbiol. 70, 307–314.
| Drotaverine hydrochloride degradation using cyst-like dormant cells of Rhodococcus ruber.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
[33] Ivshina, I.B. et al . (2006) Catalysis of the biodegradation of unusable medicines by alkanotrophic rhodococci. Appl. Biochem. Microbiol. 42, 392–395.
| Catalysis of the biodegradation of unusable medicines by alkanotrophic rhodococci.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
[34] Ivshina, I.B. et al . (2014) Draft genome sequence of propane and butane oxidizing actinobacterium Rhodococcus ruber IEGM 231. Genome Announc. 2, e01297–14.
| Draft genome sequence of propane and butane oxidizing actinobacterium Rhodococcus ruber IEGM 231.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
[35] Podorozhko, E.A. et al . (2008) Hydrophobised sawdust as a carrier for immobilisation of the hydrocarbon-oxidizing bacterium Rhodococcus ruber. Bioresour. Technol. 99, 2001–2008.
| Hydrophobised sawdust as a carrier for immobilisation of the hydrocarbon-oxidizing bacterium Rhodococcus ruber.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
