Assessing a co-culture fungal granule ability to remove pharmaceuticals in a sequencing batch reactor

ABSTRACT

Biodegradation of carbamazepine (CBZ), diclofenac sodium (DCF) and ibuprofen (IBP) was evaluated through fungal granules development in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR). Fungal granules were developed in co-culture of T. polyzona, A. niger, T. longibrachiatum, M. circinelloides and R. microsporus at a retention time (RT) of 2 days and 1 day. Ligninolytic enzymes [laccase (Lac), lignin peroxidase (LiP) and manganese peroxidase (MnP)] were determined. Removal of pharmaceuticals was assessed and metabolites identified using the SPE-UPLC-QToF/MS methods. A pH range of 3–4.6 was found to improve the granulation development from day 6 and the production of ligninolytic enzymes [MnP (253.00 ± 14.19 U/L), Lac (111.58 ± 10.00 U/L) and LiP (95.25 ± 8.22 U/L)]. At steady-state, a removal of 97.41±0.25%, 99.83±0.14%, and 99.91±0.08 were achieved at an RT of 2 days for CBZ, DCF, and IBP, respectively, and of 91.94±0.05%, 99.31±0.12% and 97.72±0.23% at an RT of 1 days for the same PhCs. A variety of chemical reactions have been proposed for degradation pathways catalysed by enzyme-producing fungi, generating fragment ions of intermediate compounds. This study is highly relevant for cost-effective and environmentally friendly wastewater treatment processes in water scare countries.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

KEYWORDS:

• Fungal granules
• sequencing batch reactor
• carbamazepine
• diclofenac
• ibuprofen

Acknowledgements

Teddy Kabeya Kasonga and Martie A. A. Coetzee conceived and designed the experiments; Teddy Kabeya Kasonga performed the experiments; Teddy Kabeya Kasonga and Martie A. A. Coetzee analysed the data; Martie A. A. Coetzee and Maggy Ndombo Benteke Momba contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools; Teddy Kabeya Kasonga wrote the paper. Martie A. A. Coetzee and K Kamika reviewed the paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Ethics approval

This article does not contain any studies concerned with experiment on human or animals.

Additional information

Funding

The project ‘Developing a fungus granulation process for the removal of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) from wastewater (COE2016/2)’ has received financial support from the South African National Research Foundation (NRF) through the grant chair of the Water Quality and Wastewater Management under the SARChI 87310 at the Faculty of Science, Tshwane University of Technology.