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•Metal complexes of antibiotics are new contaminants of emerging concern.•AMCs can assist the development and dissemination of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.•Chemical properties of ...antibiotics and metals define the complexes’ stability.•Limited exploration for detection and quantification of AMCs in wastewater.•Limited research on the removal of antibiotic-metal complexes in wastewater.
Unregulated usage, improper disposal, and leakage from pharmaceutical use and manufacturing sites have led to high detection levels of antibiotic residues in wastewater and surface water. The existing water treatment technologies are insufficient for removing trace antibiotics and these residual antibiotics tend to interact with co-existing metal ions and form antibiotic-metal complexes (AMCs) with altered bioactivity profile and physicochemical properties. Typically, antibiotics, including tetracyclines, fluoroquinolones, and sulphonamides, interact with heavy metals such as Fe2+, Co2+, Cu2+, Ni2+, to form AMCs which are more persistent and toxic than parent compounds. Although many studies have reported antibiotics detection, determination, distribution and risks associated with their environmental persistence, very few investigations are published on understanding the chemistry of these complexes in the wastewater and sludge matrix. This review, therefore, summarizes the structural features of both antibiotics and metals that facilitate complexation in wastewater. Further, this work critically appraises the treatment methods employed for antibiotic removal, individually and combined with metals, highlights the knowledge gaps, and delineates future perspectives for their treatment.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a large group of chemicals. They represent an important concern due to their widespread distribution in the environment, their resistance to ...biodegradation, their potential to bioaccumulate and their harmful effects. Several pilot treatments have been implemented to prevent economic consequences and deterioration of soil and water quality. As a promising option, fungal enzymes are regarded as a powerful choice for degradation of PAHs. Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Pleurotus ostreatus and Bjerkandera adusta are most commonly used for the degradation of such compounds due to their production of ligninolytic enzymes such as lignin peroxidase, manganese peroxidase and laccase. The rate of biodegradation depends on many culture conditions, such as temperature, oxygen, accessibility of nutrients and agitated or shallow culture. Moreover, the addition of biosurfactants can strongly modify the enzyme activity. The removal of PAHs is dependent on the ionization potential. The study of the kinetics is not completely comprehended, and it becomes more challenging when fungi are applied for bioremediation. Degradation studies in soil are much more complicated than liquid cultures because of the heterogeneity of soil, thus, many factors should be considered when studying soil bioremediation, such as desorption and bioavailability of PAHs. Different degradation pathways can be suggested. The peroxidases are heme-containing enzymes having common catalytic cycles. One molecule of hydrogen peroxide oxidizes the resting enzyme withdrawing two electrons. Subsequently, the peroxidase is reduced back in two steps of one electron oxidation. Laccases are copper-containing oxidases. They reduce molecular oxygen to water and oxidize phenolic compounds.
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The fruit processing industries are experiencing surge due to the increasing demand of food products as a result of burgeoning human population. Apple and apple products are one of the major fruit ...and fruit products consumed all over the world. Apple processing industries generate huge quantities of solid and liquid sludge wastes. The solid residues consist of a mixture of skin, pulp and seeds derived from the production of concentrated apple juice, jam, and sweets and are collectively known as ‘apple pomace’. Being highly biodegradable, the disposal of these wastes represents a serious environmental problem and presents many challenges. Often only 20% is retrieved as animal feed and the rest 80% goes to landfill, is incinerated or is sent to composting sites which results in release of greenhouse gases. However, advancement in technology has led to the alternative options of utilization of apple pomace. It can be used as a promising raw material for direct extraction of bioactive compounds and bioproduction of high value-added products, such as enzymes, organic acids, biofuels, among other products. This article reviews the work done for value-addition of this precious biomass which can help in setting up integrated process in the existing apple industries itself or separate small scale industries.
The discovery of the growth promoting property of antibiotics led to their use as antibiotic feed additives (AFAs) in animal feed at sub-therapeutic doses. Although this has been beneficial for ...animal health and productivity, it has been, essentially, a double-edged sword. The continued and non-judicious use of AFAs has led to the selection and dissemination of antibiotic-resistant strains of poultry pathogens such as Salmonella, Campylobacter and Escherichia coli. The rapid spread of drug-resistant pathogens as well as emergence of antibiotic-related environmental pollutants is of global concern. Hence, the identification and development of new and effective alternatives to antibiotics that do not hinder productivity is imperative. For this, it is essential to understand not only the molecular basis of development of resistance to AFAs but also the mechanisms of action of AFA alternatives and how they differ from AFAs. This review provides a molecular perspective on the alternatives to antibiotics that have been proposed till date and their current trends, as well as novel approaches such as development of improved delivery systems.
Chitosan, copolymer of glucosamine and N-acetyl glucosamine is mainly derived from chitin, which is present in cell walls of crustaceans and some other microorganisms, such as fungi. Chitosan is ...emerging as an important biopolymer having a broad range of applications in different fields. On a commercial scale, chitosan is mainly obtained from crustacean shells rather than from the fungal sources. The methods used for extraction of chitosan are laden with many disadvantages. Alternative options of producing chitosan from fungal biomass exist, in fact with superior physico-chemical properties. Researchers around the globe are attempting to commercialize chitosan production and extraction from fungal sources. Chitosan extracted from fungal sources has the potential to completely replace crustacean-derived chitosan. In this context, the present review discusses the potential of fungal biomass resulting from various biotechnological industries or grown on negative/low cost agricultural and industrial wastes and their by-products as an inexpensive source of chitosan. Biologically derived fungal chitosan offers promising advantages over the chitosan obtained from crustacean shells with respect to different physico-chemical attributes. The different aspects of fungal chitosan extraction methods and various parameters having an effect on the yield of chitosan are discussed in detail. This review also deals with essential attributes of chitosan for high value-added applications in different fields.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
BFBNIB, DOBA, GIS, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Diclofenac (DCF) is a prevalent anti-inflammatory drug used throughout the world. Intensive researches carried out in the past few decades have confirmed the global ubiquity of DCF in various ...environmental compartments. Its frequent occurrence in freshwater environments and its potential toxicity towards several organisms such as fish and mussels makes DCF an emerging environmental contaminant. At typical detected environmental concentrations, the drug does not exhibit toxic effects towards living organisms, albeit chronic exposure may lead to severe effects. For DCF, about 30–70% removal has been obtained through the conventional treatment system in wastewater treatment plant being the major primary sink. Thus, the untreated DCF will pass to surface water. DCF can interact with other inorganic contaminants in the environment particularly in wastewater treatment plant, such as metals, organic contaminants and even with DCF metabolites. This process may lead to the creation of another possible emerging contaminant. In the present context, environmental fate of DCF in different compartments such as soil and water has been addressed with an overview of current treatment methods. In addition, the toxicity concerns regarding DCF in aquatic as well as terrestrial environment along with an introduction to the metabolites of DCF through consumption as well as abiotic degradation routes are also discussed. Further studies are required to better assess the fate and toxicological effects of DCF and its metabolites and must consider the possible interaction of DCF with other contaminants to develop an effective treatment method for DCF and its traces.
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•A review on the occurrence, toxicity and metabolites of diclofenac•Current status of diclofenac in environment is discussed with treatment methods.•Legislative measures to control the drug are briefly covered with toxicity studies.•The toxicity of diclofenac metabolites in the environment is poorly understood.•Potential interactions of diclofenac with other pollutants are briefly discussed.
In recent years, the green approach of nanoparticle synthesis by biological entities has been gaining great interest over various other physico-chemical methods, which are laden with many ...disadvantages. The important challenging issues in current nanotechnology include the development of reliable experimental techniques for the synthesis of nanoparticles of different compositions and sizes along with high monodispersity. Biological systems offer unique promising features to tailor nanomaterials with predefined properties. Fungi are the favorite choice of microorganisms due to the wide variety of advantages they offer over bacteria, yeast, actinomycetes, plants, and other physico-chemical techniques. The use of microorganisms for the deliberate synthesis of nanoparticles is a fairly new and exciting area of research with considerable potential for further development. This review describes an overview of the current green approaches for the synthesis of nanoparticles with particular emphasis on fungi, which are gaining worldwide popularity as nano-factories for the green synthesis of nanoparticles.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
BFBNIB, DOBA, GIS, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Citric acid consumption is escalating gradually, witnessing high annual growth rate due to more and more advanced applications coming to light. The present review discusses different aspects of ...fermentation and effects of various environmental parameters and deals with the potential ways to increase the yield of citric acid to meet the ever-increasing demands of this commercially important organic acid. Different techniques for the hyperproduction of citric acid are continuously being studied from the past few decades and still there is a gap, and hence, there is an obvious need to consider new pragmatic ways to achieve industrially feasible and environmentally sustainable bio-production of citric acid. The utilization of inexpensive agro-industrial wastes and their by-products through solid-state fermentation by existing and genetically engineered strains is a potential route. This review also deals with downstream processing considering the classical and advanced approaches, which also need significant improvement. In situ product recovery method which leads to improved yields and productivity can be further optimized for large-scale production and recovery of citric acid.
This study investigates the removal of chlortetracycline (CTC) antibiotic using sulfate radical-based oxidation process. Sodium persulfate (PS) was used as a source to generate sulfate radicals by ...homogeneous (Fe2+) and heterogeneous (zero valent iron, ZVI) iron as a catalyst. Increased EDTA concentration was used to break the CTC-Fe metal complexes during CTC estimation. The influence of various parameters, such as PS concentration, iron (Fe2+ and ZVI) concentration, PS/iron molar ratio, and pH were studied and optimum conditions were reported. CTC removal was increased with increasing concentration of PS and iron at an equal molar ratio of PS/Fe2+ and PS/ZVI processes. PS/Fe2+ and PS/ZVI oxidation processes at 1:2 (500 μM PS and 1000 μM) molar ratio showed 76% and 94% of 1 μM CTC removal in 2 h. Further increased molar ratio 1:2 onwards, PS/Fe2+ process showed a slight increase in CTC degradation whereas in PS/ZVI process showed similar degradation to 1:2 (PS/Fe) ratio at constant PS 500 μM concentration. Slower activation of persulfate which indirectly indicates the slower generation of sulfate radicals in PS/ZVI process showed higher degradation efficiency of CTC. The detected transformation products and their estrogenicity results stated that sulfate radicals seem to be efficient in forming stable and non-toxic end products.
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•Higher EDTA concentration was used to break CTC-Fe complexes.•Low ZVI dose and slow activation of persulfate resulted in efficient degradation.•Dechlorinated end products were seen by sulfate radical degradation.•No estrogenic effects were observed for the treated CTC solution.
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•Biochar (microparticles) were used for removal of diclofenac for the first time.•A maximum of 99.6% removal was observed for diclofenac with pig manure biochar.•Interface chemistry ...of adsorption was explained with kinetic studies and isotherms.•Thermodynamics of adsorption process was extensively studied.•Effect of surface charges and functional groups on adsorption was studied.
Biochars were prepared from feedstocks pinewood and pig manure. Biochar microparticles obtained through grinding were evaluated for the removal of emerging contaminant diclofenac (DCF) and the underlying mechanism were thoroughly studied. Characterization of biochar was carried out using particle size analyzer, SEM, BET, FT-IR, XRD, XPS and zeta potential instrument. Pig manure biochar (BC-PM) exhibited excellent removal efficiency (99.6%) over pine wood biochar (BC-PW) at 500 µg L−1 of DCF (environmentally significant concentration). Intraparticle diffusion was found to be the major process facilitated the adsorption. BC-PW followed pseudo first-order kinetics whereas BC-PM followed pseudo second-order kinetics. Pine wood biochar was largely affected by pH variations whereas for pig manure biochar, pH effects were minimal owing to its surface functional groups and DCF hydrophobicity. Thermodynamics, presence of co-existing ions, initial adsorbate concentration and particles size played substantial role in adsorption. Various isotherms models were also studied and results are presented.
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