Rapid degradation of sulphamethoxazole and the further transformation of 3-amino-5-methylisoxazole in a microbial fuel cell

Abstract

Sulphamethoxazole (SMX) is extensively used in humans and livestock, but its appearance in natural water raises environmental concerns. This study demonstrated that SMX and its degradation product, 3-amino-5-methylisoxazole (3A5MI), could be effectively degraded in microbial fuel cell (MFC) reactors. Approximately 85% of 20 ppm SMX was degraded within 12 h, and this was a more rapid biodegradation rate than has been previously shown in the literature. In addition, 3A5MI, a toxic chemical that forms in the SMX degradation process, can be further mineralized. The degradation products of SMX were detected by mass spectrometry, and three speculated by-products were confirmed with chemical standards. It was observed that nitrogen atoms of SMX were progressively eliminated during the degradation process, which may relate with the degradation of SMX and 3A5MI. An antibacterial activity test showed that the biotoxicity of SMX towards Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 and Escherichia coli DH5α was greatly reduced after MFC treatment. Moreover, the ATP level of the MFC microbe was nearly threefold higher than that in open-circuit controls, which may be related to the rapid degradation of SMX in MFCs. This study can facilitate further investigations about the biodegradation of SMX.