Biotransformación de antibióticos en humedales artificiales: Rol de la interacción entre microorganismos y macrófitas

Abstract

The amount of antibiotics being released into aquatic ecosystems is increasing, with negative repercussions for the environment and human health. Among the methods used to remove them is phytoremediation, a methodology based on using plants and microorganisms in the rhizosphere to remove pollutants from the environment. The technology that uses this strategy is the artificial wetland, composed mainly of plants, water and substrate. The objective of this review is to collect, organize and analyze the available information related to the interaction between bacteria and macrophytes in the antibiotic removal process. Initially, antibiotic contamination in water bodies and the toxic effects on living organisms are described, and the physical and chemical characteristics of antibiotics that influence their removal capacity are mentioned. Likewise, the process of antibiotic biodegradation by bacteria is described, as well as the plant-bacteria interaction that occurs mainly at the level of the plant roots (ectorizosphere, endorizosphere and rhizoplane), a process responsible for the removal of antibiotic compounds from the aquatic environment. This work aims to contribute to a better understanding of the plant-bacteria interaction process, in order to help optimize the design of a wetland to treat antibiotic residues from the aquatic environment, including a comprehensive review of the current knowledge.