Abstract
The present study evaluates the effect of integrated nano-bio hybrid system involving nanoscale zero-valent iron (nFe0) and yeast Candida sp. SMN04 on degradation of cefdinir in aqueous medium. The nanoparticle was chemically synthesised and characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), EDAX analysis and particle size analyser. Nano-bio hybrid system was prepared using optimal concentration (50 mg/mL) of chemically synthesized nFe0, which were coated on the surface of yeast cells without causing any lethal effects to the cell. The survival and viability of the yeast cells were monitored by AFM and SEM images. Cefdinir (250 mg/L) degradation was studied, in both, the individual and hybrid system. The nano-bio hybrid system showed more effective cefdinir degradation compared to native yeast cell and nano zero-valent iron solely. The adherence of nanoparticles on the surface of the yeast cells increased the permeability of the cell membrane, thereby enhancing the entry of cefdinir into the cell. The kinetic data showed the half-life of cefdinir as 1.34 days for nano-bio hybrid system, 3.99 days for nFe0 and 2.96 days for native yeast, Candida sp. SMN04 confirming that nano-bio hybrid system reduced the half-life to less than half of the time taken by the yeast alone. This study signifies the potential efficacy of the nano-bio hybrid system to serve as an effective remedial tool for the treatment of pharmaceutical wastewater.
Highlights
The presence of pharmaceutical compounds, namely antibiotics in the ecosystem has been known for many years and considered as emerging pollutants
Toxicity concerns are often based on its large size and mobility, whereas nFe0 used in the present study is of small size, which prevents their dispersion and persistence in the environment making the degradation process eco-friendly (Wiesner et al, 2006)
The results suggested that, the degradation of cefdinir by the nanobio hybrid system proved to be more efficient than the individual systems which could bring down the half-life to more than half of the value as shown by the individual yeast
Summary
The presence of pharmaceutical compounds, namely antibiotics in the ecosystem has been known for many years and considered as emerging pollutants. Pharmaceutical industries involved in the production of antibiotics discharge their wastes openly, which contains some quantity of these active compounds that are toxic in nature. Zero-valent iron nanoparticles (nFe0) have increasingly been utilized for the remediation of groundwater and hazardous waste treatment. It could be used as a potential degradation tool and reported to have been applied successfully for the degradation of environmental contaminants including β-lactam antibiotics, a major representative of pharmaceutically active compounds in wastewater (Li et al, 2006; Ghauch et al, 2009; Deng et al, 2013)
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