The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the biodegradation of ibuprofen by natural microbial populations. Industrial samples taken from two sections of a Biofilm Membrane Bio-Reactor (BF-MBR) waste water treatment system were considered. In order to evaluate the biodegradation capacity of the bacterial populations present in the industrial sample, experimental systems were developed, consisting of microcosms supplemented with mineral soil ONR7a, ibuprofen and sodium acetate and toluene (introduced into experimental systems at different concentrations) and used as biodegradation enhancement (Pollutants concentration was measured by GC-MS. In the samples collected in the BF-MBR system, the composition of the bacterial population was also analyzed (16S rDNA clone libraries). The obtained results evidenced how two dominant classes, related to Gammaproteobacteria and Flavobacteria, and a dominant genus, Planktosalinus, were present in the first section of the treatment system; in the second section the dominant classes were always Gammaproteobacteria and Flavobacteria, while the dominant genus was Alcanivorax. The presence of degrading hydrocarbon bacteria was found in both samples taken in the two sections of the treatment system; the presence of these genes was explained due to the actual nature of the sample, which was a mixture of bilge water and black waters from a passenger ship. From the obtained biodegradation data, a clear reduction in the pollutant (ibuprofen concentration) was observed. Approximately, after 7 days of incubation, a 50% reduction was in fact observed in microcosm systems with higher values of ONR7a, ibuprofen and toluene.
Biodegradation of pharmaceutical micro-pollutants (ibuprofen) in the marine environment: a microcosm experiment
Cappello S;Caruso G;Genovese M;
2017
Abstract
The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the biodegradation of ibuprofen by natural microbial populations. Industrial samples taken from two sections of a Biofilm Membrane Bio-Reactor (BF-MBR) waste water treatment system were considered. In order to evaluate the biodegradation capacity of the bacterial populations present in the industrial sample, experimental systems were developed, consisting of microcosms supplemented with mineral soil ONR7a, ibuprofen and sodium acetate and toluene (introduced into experimental systems at different concentrations) and used as biodegradation enhancement (Pollutants concentration was measured by GC-MS. In the samples collected in the BF-MBR system, the composition of the bacterial population was also analyzed (16S rDNA clone libraries). The obtained results evidenced how two dominant classes, related to Gammaproteobacteria and Flavobacteria, and a dominant genus, Planktosalinus, were present in the first section of the treatment system; in the second section the dominant classes were always Gammaproteobacteria and Flavobacteria, while the dominant genus was Alcanivorax. The presence of degrading hydrocarbon bacteria was found in both samples taken in the two sections of the treatment system; the presence of these genes was explained due to the actual nature of the sample, which was a mixture of bilge water and black waters from a passenger ship. From the obtained biodegradation data, a clear reduction in the pollutant (ibuprofen concentration) was observed. Approximately, after 7 days of incubation, a 50% reduction was in fact observed in microcosm systems with higher values of ONR7a, ibuprofen and toluene.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
