Pharmaceutical Industry Effluents Research Articles

Boosting solar-driven photocatalytic degradation of organic contaminants and bacterial deactivation using marigold- like Cu2O decorated g-C3N4 nanocomposite

Keeping the high efficiency in designing photocatalysts in view, the present work was aimed at the development of a heterojunction photocatalyst with boosted efficiencies, both for degradation of organic contaminants and bacterial deactivation. Heterojunction nanocomposites of g-C3N4 (GCN) and Cu2O (Cu2O /GCN-5 %, Cu2O /GCN-15 %, Cu2O/GCN-25 %, and Cu2O /GCN-50 %) were prepared by hydrothermal method and their photocatalytic performance was evaluated. XPS result confirms the surface chemical composition of nanocomposite and consistent with EDX analysis. The BET studies of Cu2O/GCN −25 % nanocomposite reveals the larger specific surface area (128.10 m2/g), compared to intact Cu2O, which facilitates more active sites on the surface. The optical bandgap energy (2.39 eV-2.58 eV) is tuned towards the visible region by loading g-C3N4 in marigold-like Cu2O. The efficient charge transfer betwixt marigold-like Cu2O and g-C3N4 was demonstrated in PL, CV, and EIS analysis. The Cu2O/GCN-25 % nanocomposite exhibits superior photocatalytic activity towards Aniline blue dye (86.4 %) and β-lactam antibiotic amoxicillin (79 %) under 100 min of sunlight irradiation. HPLC analysis further confirmed the degradation and disintegration of Amoxicillin. The probable photocatalytic mechanism was proposed and tested through a radical scavenger experiment. It was found that ●OH radicals significantly take part in the photodegradation. In addition, the bactericidal activities of Cu2O/GCN-25 % nanocomposite was determined. The highest bactericidal activity was observed for Bacillus subtilis (26 mm). Hence, the marigold-like Cu2O/GCN-25 % nanocomposite is a feasible material for the degradation of dyeing and pharmaceutical industrial effluents as well as bacterial growth inhibition.

Isolation, and characterization of Cladosporium alboflavescens for Acetaminophen biodegradation

One of the pharmaceutical micropollutants with a detrimental effect on the environment is paracetamol. Mycoremediation of the pollutants is a widely accepted concept based on cost and eco-friendly nature. Fungi isolated from pharmaceutical industry effluent have been used to target the biodegradation of paracetamol. The fungus’s internal transcribed spacer (ITS 1) sequencing matched that of Cladosporium alboflavescens (GenBank accession number OQ977005) by 99.81%. The strain demonstrated 89% biodegradation of paracetamol (1000 ppm) after 96 hours of incubation with 4-aminophenol as the predominant biodegradative metabolite, according to the spectrophotometric and high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis. The half-life of 1.44 days and simple first order kinetics were proposed by the Computer Assisted Kinetic Evaluation (CAKE) tool used to examinethe biodegradation kinetics.
 Key words: Acetaminophen, 4-aminophenol, Cladosporium, Mycoremediation

Machine learning algorithm and neural network architecture for optimization of pharmaceutical and drug manufacturing industrial effluent treatment using activated carbon derived from breadfruit (Treculia africana)

In a recent development, attention has shifted to the application of artificial intelligence for the optimization of wastewater treatment processes. This research compared the performances of the machine learning (ML) model: random forest, decision tree, support vector machine, artificial neural network, convolutional neural network, long-short term memory, and multiple linear regressors for optimization in effluent treatment. The training, testing, and validation datasets were obtained via the design of an experiment conducted on the removal of total dissolved solids (TDS) from pharmaceutical effluent. The breadfruit-activated carbon (BFAC) adsorbent was characterized using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques. The predictive capacity of an ML algorithm, and neural network architecture implemented to optimize the treatment process using statistical metrics. The results showed that MSE ≤ 1.68, MAE ≤ 0.95, and predicted-R2 ≥ 0.9035 were recorded across all ML. The ML output with minimum error functions that satisfied the criterion for clean discharge was adopted. The predicted optimum conditions correspond to BFAC dosage, contact time, particle size, and pH of 2.5 mg/L, 10 min, 0.60 mm, and 6, respectively. The optimum transcends to a reduction in TDS concentration from 450 mg/L to a residual ≤ 40 mg/L and corresponds to 90% removal efficiency, indicating ± 1.01 standard deviation from the actual observation practicable. The findings established the ML model outperformed the neural network architecture and affirmed validation for the optimization of the adsorption treatment in the pharmaceutical effluent domain. Results demonstrated the reliability of the selected ML algorithm and the feasibility of BFAC for use in broad-scale effluent treatment.

Paracetamol mineralization strategy in laboratory scale using Aspergillus niger KCAC.

The emergence of drug resistance, caused due the presence of pharmaceutical contaminant in the environment, highlights the critical need for pharmaceutical drugs management. Pharmaceutical drugs are sourced in wastewater as pharmaceutical industrial effluents, antibiotic misuse, and inappropriate disposal of expired pharmaceuticals, eventually ending up in sewage deposition. In this work, we aimed to degrade paracetamol (APAP) through the mycoremediation approach in laboratory scale. The isolated paracetamol degradation fungal strain, identified as Aspergillus niger KCAC efficiently degraded the drug into non-toxic metabolites. The results demonstrated that 99.6% degradation rate was achieved by Aspergillus niger KCAC. Unique, low-cost, eco-friendly bioformulation of the fungal isolate was prepared during the study using used vegetable cooking oil as substrate. The bioformulation showed extended shelf-life and can be used in future for large-scale application. Thus, this detailed investigation on paracetamol biodegradation may be useful in developing a wastewater treatment system effective against paracetamol-contaminated wastewater.

Sustainable developmental measures for the treatment of pharmaceutical industry effluent using nano zero valent iron technology (nZVI) – A review

Among the diverse nanomaterials, nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) particle is one of the superior materials used for the condition of remediation and environmental restoration. As a result of the nanoscale dimension of nZVI particles and its relatively high surface, it is capable of undergoing various chemical reactions, including reduction, oxidation and adsorption of toxic metals, inorganic substances and organic compounds. In the pharmaceutical industry, mass production of drugs results in the widespread dumping of effluents. As emerging pollutants, antibiotics are non-biodegradable compounds that have potential to adversely affect human genetic and hormonal systems posing a risk to human health and the environment. Global health is endangered by antibiotics present in surface waters and drinking water. Drug contaminants can be removed using a synergistic process involving various advanced methods, including ozonation, fenton process, photocatalytic degradation, reverse osmosis and, adsorption techniques. The enhancement of nZVI composites and earlier studies were reviewed, as well as the evaluation of zero valent iron nanoparticles' effectiveness in eliminating antibiotic effluents from water bodies. This review also revealed the various methods of the determination of toxicity associated with nZVI treated pharmaceutical effluents. The present study would suggest the possible utilization of nZVI technology for the effective removal of hazardous pharmaceutical contaminants through sustainable green measures.

Potentially Toxic Elements in Pharmaceutical Industrial Effluents: A Review on Risk Assessment, Treatment, and Management for Human Health

Potentially toxic elements (PTEs) are metallic chemicals with densities that are higher than that of water. Water pollution by PTEs due to the discharge of untreated pharmaceutical industrial effluents is a risk to human health and ecological integrity. The present review paper provides an overview of the threats to human health due to water contamination by PTEs such as lead, cobalt, cadmium, nickel, and arsenic originating from pharmaceutical industrial wastewater. This review reveals the associated advantages and shortcomings of the outmoded and the modern methods and the challenges involved in addressing the shortcomings. Additionally, due to the increasing amount of uncontrollable pharmaceutical effluents entering the ecosystem, this paper reviewed the management approach supported by the World Health Organization and the Environmental Protection Agency. Studies revealed that PTEs find their way into human bodies through different pathways, which include drinking water, edibles, and dermal vulnerability at intervals. This paper focuses on how pharmaceutical effluents can be handled and how regulations and strategies can be reinforced step by step. To preserve public health and the environment, a comprehensive study on the environmental evaluation of carcinogenic substances, particularly toxic elements and metalloids, should be supported and advocated. To protect living organisms and the welfare of consumers, efforts should be made to reduce the presence of potentially hazardous elements on land and water.

Evaluation of Cyto-Genotoxicity of Pharmaceutical Industrial Effluent in Kano Metropolis, Kano State, Nigeria, Using Allium Cepa L. Assay

ABSTRACT
 An Allium cepa root cells assay was used to assess cytotoxic and genotoxic impacts on Pharmaceutical industrial effluent in Kano Metropolis. An industrial effluent's physicochemical characteristics and heavy metal composition were assessed, and the readings were found to be higher than the required levels, demonstrating that it had not been treated before disposal. A set of 45 onion bulbs were grown for 96 hours in pharmaceutical effluent that included 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, and 10.0% (v/v), with distilled water serving as the control. All three root tips from each replication's treated bulbs were plucked at 96 hours and prepared for cytogenetic analysis using the aceto-carmine squashed procedure. At higher doses of industrial effluents, the root tips were highly cytotoxic, and their growth was strongly retarded. Exposure to the effluents inhibited root growth with an EC50 value of 6.3%. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed a significant difference (P 0.05) in the average root growth of Allium cepa subjected to various pharmaceutical effluent concentrations. Mitosis Index (MI) rapidly reduced when effluent concentrations rose compared to control, whereas mitotic inhibition rose with rising effluent concentrations compared to controls. The pharmaceutical effluent triggered chromosomal abnormalities in Allium cepa root tip cells, particularly sticky chromosomes, Binucleated cells, and Bridge chromosomes being most commonly seen at lower doses of 2.5%. It was discovered that the compounds present in effluent might harm living things and, if left untreated, could poison the environment. Industrialists need to be legally required to switch their operations to environmentally friendly technology after it was determined that industrial effluents pose an environmental danger and can result in a number of human illnesses.

Validated chromatographic methods for determination of ciprofloxacin, indomethacin, and metronidazole remnants in pharmaceutical industrial wastewater effluents

Validated chromatographic methods for determination of ciprofloxacin, indomethacin, and metronidazole remnants in pharmaceutical industrial wastewater effluents

Pharmaceutical Drugs in Aquatic Environment and their Toxic Effect on <i>Pangasius sp.</i> : An Overview

One of the fastest-growing freshwater fish varieties is the Pangasius sp., which has a great capability for production and export growth. When Pangasius sp. is exposed to substances such as diclofenac, phenol, quinolones, sulfonamides, and tetracycline, even at low environmental exposure levels the fish tissue can develop chronic risk, genetic abnormalities, and histopathological changes. They come into contact with these antibiotics mostly through the discharge of pharmaceutical industry effluents, which contain antibiotic residues that are not been completely eliminated by wastewater treatment, thereby posing environmental concerns when released into aquatic ecosystems. The main objective of this review paper is to study the effect of the concentration of pharmaceutical drugs, farming techniques, and various substitutes for antibiotics that can be utilized to enhance the growth performance of Pangasius sp. Few studies conducted on toxicity demonstrated that increased mucus production in the gills and intestines, histological abnormalities in the liver and skin, and impaired immunoglobulin production have all been linked to sublethal phenol concentrations in fish. The consumption of these contaminated Pangasius sp. can raise various human health concerns. Therefore, exposure of Pangasius sp. to the detrimental pharmaceutical drug from industrial effluent must be held serious concern. Further research is required to conserve human health and the ecosystem.

Isolation and Screening of Gram-Positive Polyhydroxyalkanoate producing bacterial strains from Pharmaceutical Industry Effluent

Polyhydroxyalkanoates are biopolymers produced by various Gram positive and Gram-negative bacteria within their cells. The accumulation of this polymer is induced when the bacteria is facing nutrient limiting conditions. Gram negative bacteria can produce PHA but because of the presence of lipopolysaccharides which are immunogenically reactive, the PHA producing potential has not been used. Keeping this in mind, this study was aimed at the isolation of robust Gram-positive bacterial strains from pharmaceutical industry effluent. Further, the isolated strains were then screened for their ability to produce PHA. We isolated 24 bacterial strains from the effluent and identified 6 as PHA producing strains. The highest PHA producing isolated was characterized using various biochemical tests. The PHA extracted was characterized spectrophotometrically using Law Slepecky method. This PHA-producing isolate may be employed for commercial production of PHA for biomedical application, bioremediation etc.

Design of hydrodynamic cavitation assisted intensified tertiary treatment unit for effective degradation of organic micropollutants in pharmaceutical industrial effluent: A Case study with triclosan

Increasing occurrence of micropollutants and trace amount of persistent organic contaminants (POC's) in the wastewater streams even after the well-established conventional treatment is a threat to human health, aquatic entities, and constitute a formidable challenge for the ecological security. In this regard, hydrodynamic cavitation based advanced oxidation treatment has attracted extensive attention towards removal of such micro scale pollutants from wastewater streams in the present scenario. Hence, the present work demonstrates the design and application of a rotating hydrodynamic cavitation (RHC) reactor with stator-rotor arrangement for effective degradation of organic micropollutants (triclosan being taken as the target pollutant) from tertiary effluents occurring in the pharmaceutical sector. The process performance was evaluated through optimization of geometric parameters of the reactor, various operating parameters as well as by studying the sole and synergistic performance of the HC process combined with other AOPs. The maximum degradation of Triclosan (TCS) achieved by RHC alone was found to be 35.2 % and in synergism, with ozone, a maximum of 97.6 % degradation was observed. Further, to ensure the mineralization of the components, total organic carbon (TOC) contents of the samples were measured and the degradation pathway was predicted through LC-MS analysis. The techno-economic feasibility of the process were understood through economic and energetic analysis and technology transfer was done for replicating the same study for a pilot scale reactor.

Paracetamol biodegradation by Pseudomonas strain PrS10 isolated from pharmaceutical effluents

The production and consumption of paracetamol (4-acetaminophen), a common analgesic and antipyretic drug, had been increased substantially in recent years, elevating the risk of environmental exposure. As an emerging pollutant, this may affect different trophic levels irreversibly and persistently. In this current study, multiple bacterial strains were isolated from pharmaceutical industrial effluents based on paracetamol resistance and primarily screened by non-virulence. Strains PrS3 and PrS14 showed maximum bacterial growth using paracetamol as the sole carbon and nitrogen source. On the contrary, the highest %organic carbon removal efficiency was exhibited by PrS10. The isolates were identified as non-identical and related to the Pseudomonas genus by partial 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The spectrometric assay indicated PrS10 with the highest paracetamol degradation potential (96.37% removal in 7 days), whereas the GC-MS study confirmed 92.35% paracetamol degradation efficiency. The influence of different carbohydrates on paracetamol degradation indicated a competition between monosaccharide and paracetamol as an energy source for PrS10 and reduced degradation efficiency. Further, HR-MS analysis indicated both cell surface absorption as well as the internalization of paracetamol by PrS10. This study explored a probable biodegradation and bioremediation technique for paracetamol contaminants which could be integrated with the effluent treatment of paracetamol production.

Impact of pharmaceutical industry effluent on seed germination and seedling growth of some common crops of Bangladesh

This project was carried out to investigate the effect of pharmaceutical industry effluents on seed germination and seedling growth of some common cultivated crops of Bangladesh. Four varieties of crops such as Okra, Data shak, Ridge gourd, and Black mustard were selected to grow in this effluent. Concentrations used for the effluents in terms of seed germinations were 0%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% respectively. The optimum condition of seed germination obtained for Okra, Data shak and Ridge gourd were 25%, 100% and 50% respectively. However, in terms of Black mustard the germination percentage was same in all condition. At lower dilutions the crops exhibited favorable effect on seed germination, seedling growth, shoot length and root length. Among all 100% concentrations of the effluent caused inhibitory effect in terms of all crops except Black mustard. Based on the present investigations, it can be concluded that pharmaceutical effluent which is discharging as waste can be used for irrigation purpose, after proper dilution. Bangladesh J. Sci. Ind. Res. 57(1), 15-22, 2022

Human Health Risk Assessment due to Solvent Exposure from Pharmaceutical Industrial Effluent: Deterministic and Probabilistic Approaches

Human Health Risk Assessment due to Solvent Exposure from Pharmaceutical Industrial Effluent: Deterministic and Probabilistic Approaches

English

The aim of the present study was to understand the seasonal occurrence and diversity of species of meropenem-resistant bacteria in the Gumuncheon river receiving effluents from a pharmaceutical industry in Seoul, Korea.Water samples were collected from the Gumuncheon river in Kyoung-gi province during winter (January), spring (April), summer (August), and fall (November) of 2018. Water samples were plated in triplicate on tryptic soy agar plates containing 16 mg/L meropenem. Meropenem-resistant bacteria were isolated and genetically identified using 16S rRNA analysis. The predominant bacterial genera identified were Elizabethkingia, Pseudomonas, Chryseobacterium and Stenotrophomonas. Among these; Pseudomonas species Pseudomonas chengduensis and Pseudomonas taiwanesis showed resistance against 15 antibiotics. To prevent the occurrence and spread of meropenem-resistant bacteria in rivers, it is necessary to implement methods that can simultaneously kill multi-drug resistant bacteria and remove antibioticsfrom pharmaceutical industry effluent discharge. Further, to stop the spread of meropenem-resistant bacteria in environment, effluent discharge water should be stringently assessed for their risk of being an environmental hazard.   Key words: Carbapenem, Meropenem, Multi-drug resistant, Elizabethkingia, Pseudomonas, Chryseobacterium, Stenotrophomonas.

Solid Phase Extraction and Simultaneous Chromatographic Quantification of some Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drug Residues; an Application in Pharmaceutical Industrial Wastewater Effluent

Two sensitive and selective methods were developed for the simultaneous determination of four commonly used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), namely; paracetamol (PCM), diclofenac sodium (DCF), ibuprofen (IBP), and indomethacin (IND) in wastewater effluents. The first method used HPLC for the determination of the studied drugs using a mobile phase consisting of phosphate buffer (pH 3.0) and acetonitrile at a flow rate of 1 mL/min. in gradient elution mode and detection at 220 nm. The separation process was performed on BDS Hypersil Cyano column (250 x 4.6 mm, 5 μm). The second method was a TLC-densitometric one which was performed using n-Hexane: ethyl acetate: acetic acid in the ratio (6:3.5:0.5) as a developing system. The proposed chromatographic methods were successfully applied for the selective determination of the four studied drugs in simulated and real pharmaceutical wastewater samples after their solid-phase extraction.

Unravelling the performance of UV/H2O2 on the removal of pharmaceuticals in real industrial, hospital, grey and urban wastewaters

This study provides an integrated assessment of UV/H2O2 treatment of different real wastewater matrices: two urban wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) secondary effluents, greywater, hospital, and pharmaceutical industrial effluents. It considers micropollutant removal (up to 30 pharmaceuticals and 13 transformation products at environmental concentrations), energy efficiency and effluent toxicity. The complexity of the wastewater matrix negatively affected the UV fluence in the photo-reactor, scavenged hydroxyl radicals and hindered a proper H2O2 utilization thus reducing the treatment efficiency. At the optimal treatment conditions, overall pharmaceuticals removal was the highest for urban WWTPs effluents (69%–86%), followed by greywater (59%), hospital (36%) and industrial (17%) effluents. The ecotoxicity of the treated samples was reduced around one toxicity unit after the UV/H2O2 treatment in all cases except in industrial wastewater. The average observed removal in urban wastewater effluents and greywater for photo-susceptible, moderately photo-susceptible, and most photo-resistant compounds was 93%, 73% and 46% including outliers, respectively. The calculated electrical energy per order (EEO) values were 0.9–1.5 kWh/(m3·order) for urban WWTP effluents and greywater while for hospital and industrial effluents was much higher (7.3–9.1 kWh/(m3·order)).

Varying Efficacies of Fenton's Oxidation Treatment on Pharmaceutical Industry Effluents of Contrasting Viscosity Profiles

AbstractThe present study investigates the applicability of Fenton's oxidation for the treatment of a highly refractory, viscous, bulk drug industry effluent. The effluent is found to behave as a Newtonian fluid, thrice as viscous as water. Fenton's oxidation experiments on the undiluted effluent are conducted in accordance with central composite design (CCD), considering the operating factors of pH (3–11), FeSO4 dosage (3–15 g L−1), H2O2 dosage (7–19 mL L−1), and treatment time (30–150 min). The treatment yielded a maximum total organic carbon (TOC) reduction of 28% at neutral pH, FeSO4, and H2O2 dosages of 9 g L−1 and 13 mL L−1, respectively, for 150 min of operation. The maximal treatment efficacy observed at neutral pH is explained by the non‐radical mechanism of Fenton's oxidation, and further correlated with viscosity and type of fluid (here, Newtonian), as judged from the generated viscosity profiles. Upon comparison with previous effluent samplings, differing treatment efficacies are observed for different fluid types, that is, Newtonian and non‐Newtonian (shear thinning), with the latter obtaining twice the TOC reduction, under similar experimental conditions. Hence, the effect of viscosity and fluid type on the effectiveness of Fenton's oxidation treatment is experimentally validated and discussed.

A pilot experiment to assess the efficiency of pharmaceutical plant wastewater treatment and the decreasing effluent toxicity to periphytic biofilms

Pharmaceutical industry effluents are complex and highly variable in time. Assessing the efficiency of a pharmaceutical industry wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and the resulting decrease in effluent toxicity and ecological risk is thus not straightforward. We set up an original in situ pilot directly connected to a pharmaceutical WWTP to monitor the chronic toxicity of successive effluents using natural periphytic biofilms. Their structural and functional responses to effluent exposure were assessed by combining (i) a molecular approach to characterize the bacterial and diatom diversity and (ii) functional measurements of photosynthetic and enzyme activities. Effluent contamination by pharmaceuticals strongly decreased after the quaternary treatment (activated carbon). Most of the structural biological characteristics improved with cumulative WWTP treatment (bacterial diversity, microbial genetic structure, and biological diatom index), showing community recovery along the treatment process. However, functional parameters did not show clear links with treatment steps, suggesting that microbial activities were not solely driven by pharmaceuticals produced during the experimental period. Operationally, this type of pilot system offers a useful tool for biomonitoring approaches and offers new approaches for industrial managers to assess the ecological risk of production effluents in receiving water.

Treatment of a Pharmaceutical Industrial Effluent by a Hybrid Process of Advanced Oxidation and Adsorption.

In the present study, a combined approach of ozone-based advanced oxidation and adsorption by activated char was employed for the treatment of a pharmaceutical industrial effluent. Ozone is a selective oxidant, but the addition of H2O2 generated in situ hydroxyl radicals, which is a non-selective stronger oxidant than ozone. The effluent obtained from the pharmaceutical industry mainly contained anti-cancer drugs, anti-psychotic drugs, and some pain killers. The peroxone process had 75–88.5% chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduction efficiency at pH 5–11 in 3 h. Adsorption by activated char further reduced the COD to 85.4–92.7% for pH 5–11 in 2.5 h. All other water quality parameters were significantly decreased (>73% removal) during ozonation. The primary operational parameters (system pH and H2O2 concentration) were also varied, and their effects were analyzed. The pseudo-first-order rate constants for ozonation were calculated, and they were found to be in the range of 1.42 × 10–4 to 3.35 × 10–4 s–1 for pH 5–11. The kinetic parameters for adsorption were calculated for the pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, and Elovich models. The fit of the pseudo-first-order kinetic model to the experimental data was the best.