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It has been previously reported that thiourea modified poly(acrylonitrile-co-acrylic acid) (TMPAA) could successfully be employed as polymeric adsorbent for the sequestration of cationic dyes and nitro-phenol. In this research, parametric optimisation, kinetic and isotherm analyses on the sequestration of diclofenac (DCF) and amoxycillin (AMX)) by TMPAA were investigated for the first time. The central composite design (CCD) results revealed that the optimisation exhibited high significance and reliability. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated that TMPAA dose, antibiotic concentration and adsorption time exhibited high significance effect on the DCF and AMX sequestration. The 3D response surface plots showed notable antagonistic interaction among the adsorption parameters. A maximum DCF uptake of 97.94% was achieved under optimum condition of 0.1 g TMPAA dose, 25 mg/L, and 54 min, while 94.06% AMX removal was obtained at 0.1 g sorbent dosage, 25 mg/L, and 34 min contact time. Predicted and experimental results confirmed the accuracy of the established optimal conditions for both antibiotics. It was discovered by adsorption analysis that the pseudo-second-order kinetic and Redlich-Peterson models agreed with the adsorption kinetic and isotherm data. The findings suggest that the synthesised TMPAA polymer is capable of removing DCF and AMX from aqueous solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cationic hydrogel particles (CHPs) crosslinked with glutaraldehyde were synthesized and characterized to evaluate their removal capacity for two globally consumed antibiotics: amoxicillin and sulfamethoxazole. The obtained material was characterized by FTIR, SEM, and TGA, confirming effective crosslinking. The optimal working pH was determined to be 6.0 for amoxicillin and 4.0 for sulfamethoxazole. Under these conditions, the CHPs achieved over 90.0% removal of amoxicillin after 360 min at room temperature, while sulfamethoxazole removal reached approximately 60.0% after 300 min. Thermodynamic analysis indicated that adsorption occurs through a physisorption process and is endothermic. The ΔH° values of 28.38 kJ mol−1, 12.39 kJ mol−1, and ΔS° 97.19 J mol−1 K−1, and 33.94 J mol−1 K−1 for AMX and SMX, respectively. These results highlight the potential of CHPs as promising materials for the removal of such contaminants from aqueous media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Biotransformation of steroid compounds into therapeutic products using microorganisms offers an eco-friendly and economically sustainable approach to the pharmaceutical industry rather than a chemical synthesis way. The biotransformation efficiency of progesterone into the anticancer compound testololactone using Penicillium chrysogenum Ras3009 has been investigated. Besides, maximization of testololactone formation was achieved by studying the kinetic modelling and impact of some fermentation conditions on the biotransformation process. Results The fungal strain Ras3009 was selected among twelve fungal strains as the most runner for the transformation of 81.18% of progesterone into testololactone. Ras3009 was identified phenotypically and genotypically as Penicillium chrysogenum, its 18 S rRNA nucleotide sequence was deposited in the GenBank database by the accession number OR480104. Studying the impact of fermentation conditions on biotransformation efficiency indicated a positive correlation between substrate concentration and testololactone formation until reaching the maximum velocity v max . Kinetic studies revealed that v max was $$\:0.0482$$ gL− 1hr− 1 with high accuracy, giving R 2 of 0.977. The progesterone transformation efficiency generally increased with time, reaching a maximum of 100% at 42 h with testololactone yield (Y pt/s ) 0.8700 mg/mg. Moreover, the study indicated that the enzymatic conversion by P. chrysogenum Ras3009 showed high affinity to the substrate, intracellularly expressed, and released during cell disruption, leading to higher efficiency when using whole microbial cell extract. Conclusions Fungi can be promising biocatalysts for steroid transformation into valuable chemicals and pharmaceutical compounds. The study revealed that the new fungal isolate P. chrysogenum Ras3009 possesses a great catalytic ability to convert progesterone into testololactone. Kinetic modelling analysis and optimization of the fermentation conditions lead to higher transformation efficiency and provide a better understanding of the transformation processes. Graphical abstract

Abstract Groundwater harbours unique species adapted to perpetual darkness. Groundwater fauna plays a crucial role in global ecosystem services, but contamination poses a threat to this keystone ecosystem. Diclofenac is a common non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug of particular concern, due to its presence in both surface and groundwater. We assess the environmental risk of diclofenac in European groundwaters using different scenarios, analyzing Measured Environmental Concentrations (MECs) of diclofenac and estimating the Predicted No Effect Concentration (PNECs) through two approaches: considering the sensitivity of the groundwater crustacean Proasellus lusitanicus (Isopoda: Asellidae), and using surface water species as proxies. Our results show that scenarios based on surrogate species predict that groundwater ecosystems are at risk due to diclofenac contamination. On the other hand, the MECs of diclofenac were consistently lower than the PNEC of P. lusitanicus, suggesting that the current MECs do not pose a significant threat to this groundwater-adapted species. However, risk scenarios differ considering the sensitivity of other groundwater species, emphasizing the importance of considering multiple species’ sensitivities in risk assessment. Therefore, we recommend establishing an environmental quality standard for diclofenac in groundwater at 5 ng/L, a value that accounts the need for precautionary measures to safeguard groundwater ecosystems, essential for preserving their unique biota and services.

Background: Biotransformation of steroid compounds into therapeutic products using microorganisms offers an eco-friendly and economically sustainable approach to the pharmaceutical industry rather than a chemical synthesis way. The biotransformation efficiency of progesterone into the anticancer compound testololactone using Penicillium chrysogenum Ras3009 has been investigated. Besides, maximization of testololactone formation was achieved by studying the kinetic modelling and impact of some fermentation conditions on the biotransformation process. Results: The fungal strain Ras3009 was selected among twelve fungal strains as the most runner for the transformation of 81.18% of progesterone into testololactone. Ras3009 was identified phenotypically and genotypically as Penicillium chrysogenum, its 18 S rRNA nucleotide sequence was deposited in the GenBank database by the accession number OR480104. Studying the impact of fermentation conditions on biotransformation efficiency indicated a positive correlation between substrate concentration and testololactone formation until reaching the maximum velocity vmax. Kinetic studies revealed that vmax was gL− 1hr− 1 with high accuracy, giving R2 of 0.977. The progesterone transformation efficiency generally increased with time, reaching a maximum of 100% at 42 h with testololactone yield (Ypt/s) 0.8700 mg/mg. Moreover, the study indicated that the enzymatic conversion by P. chrysogenum Ras3009 showed high affinity to the substrate, intracellularly expressed, and released during cell disruption, leading to higher efficiency when using whole microbial cell extract. Conclusions: Fungi can be promising biocatalysts for steroid transformation into valuable chemicals and pharmaceutical compounds. The study revealed that the new fungal isolate P. chrysogenum Ras3009 possesses a great catalytic ability to convert progesterone into testololactone. Kinetic modelling analysis and optimization of the fermentation conditions lead to higher transformation efficiency and provide a better understanding of the transformation processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ketoprofen is a non-biodegradable drug and is not removed by conventional treatments. The need to remove pharmaceutical compounds from water and wastewater has aroused considerable interest in advanced oxidation processes (AOP), whose effectiveness depends on the generation of reactive free radicals capable of oxidizing and decomposing numerous compounds. Heterogeneous photocatalysis is an efficient method if an active semiconductor is used. In this work, the photodegradation reaction of ketoprofen promoted by TiO2 was studied, analyzing the kinetics obtained by changing variables such as temperature, initial concentration, and quantity of photocatalyst. It was determined that the mechanism is of the Langmuir–Hinshelwood type and that the system is operating in the kinetic regime, while tests at different temperatures have shown that the adsorption of ketoprofen and byproducts are both exothermic. Experimental data were interpreted with reliable models that allow to retrieve quantitatively the kinetic and thermodynamic parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the photo-, electro-, and photo-electro-oxidation of chloramphenicol was investigated. The photo-experiments were carried out with different irradiation sources (an ultraviolet and a simulated solar source) using self-doped titanium nanotubes (SDTNT), a very promising and innovative material that deserves further investigations in the degradation of different pollutants. The photo-electrooxidation (j = 15 mA cm–2) under simulated solar irradiation presented the best efficiency, with ca. 100% degradation and kinetic constant of k = 0.04427 min–1. The FTIR analysis demonstrated a structural modification of the standard molecule occurred for all conditions used, suggesting a modification in functional groups responsible for the biological activity. Furthermore, the TOC analysis showed a significant mineralization of the pollutant (66% from the initial concentration). In addition, both photo-electrooxidation approaches have demonstrated a positive value of S, where the simulated solar irradiation reached the highest value S = 0.6960. The experimental results pointed out evidence that the methodology employed herein for chloramphenicol degradation is greatly interesting and the photo-electrooxidation under simulated solar irradiation is a promising approach for this purpose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The residues of pharmaceutical compounds are often resistant to degradation, causing an environmental problem. Our research aimed to perform a study of the photocatalytic and photoelectrocatalytic degradation of non-opioid analgesic paracetamol and some of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (ketoprofen, naproxen, diclofenac, and ibuprofen). Semiconductor WO3, Fe2O3, and WO3/Fe2O3 photocatalysis using solar energy lamps were applied for this purpose. As a result of the photocatalytic processes, high decomposition efficiency was obtained for ketoprofen (97%) and naproxen (70%). Low photodegradation yields were achieved for diclofenac. Under the used measurement conditions, both paracetamol and ibuprofen were not degraded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: Cancer is a serious public health concern, hence the determination of dacarbazine as a significant chemotherapeutic agent is very important. Experimental Approach: In the present work, we describe using a facile method to synthesize a nanocomposite of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and two-dimensional zeolitic imidazolate framework nanosheets (2D ZIF-L NSs). The resulting MWCNTs/2D ZIF-L NSs nanocomposite was characterized by field-emission scanning electron microscopy. The MWCNTs/2D ZIF-L NSs nanocomposite was subsequently used to modify a screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) to achieve an electrochemical sensing platform for the detection of dacarbazine. Conclusion: This detection method can be used as a valuable tool in the analysis of pharmaceutical formulations to bring benefits in the cancer treatment.

This study was conducted to detect some organic compounds used in the pharmaceutical industry in the treated wastewater generated from the Khirbet Al-Samra wastewater plant in Jordan, this water is mixed with fresh water at King Talal dam and then used in irrigation in Jordan Valley. To estimate the number of organic compounds present in treated wastewater and study the seasonal variation (winter vs summer), a group of reference chemicals were used, including commonly used pain relievers: Ketoprofen, Naproxen, Diclofenac, Ibuprofen, and two antibiotics, including Sulfamethoxazole, Erythromycin, in addition to Carbamazepine. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry is used for the analysis of some pharmaceutical compounds. Results of the study showed that the concentration of Diclofenac was 6.4µg/L in winter samples compared with 4.2µg/L in summer samples. Naproxen was also present in the samples at relatively high concentrations of 5.2µg/L in winter and 3.5 µg/L in summer. Ibuprofen concentrations ranged between 3.7 and 1.1µg/L in winter and summer samples. Carbamazepine was present in the winter and summer samples at 1.3µg/L. Other compounds, including Ketoprofen, Sulfamethoxazole, and Erythromycin were not detected in both winter and summer samples. It can be seen that the concentration of detected pharmaceutical compounds in summer samples for Diclofenac, Naproxen and Ibuprofen was less than that in winter samples. The presence of some pharmaceutical compounds in treated water is not considered a major health problem. However, it is still important to monitor and evaluate the content of pharmaceuticals in treated water that is used to irrigate crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To date, there is an increased risk to public health and the environment due to the presence of pharmaceutically active compounds within drinking water supply and distribution networks. Owing to this, a direct injection-HPLC/MS-MS method was developed for the simultaneous determination of 16 active pharmaceutical compounds in tap water samples: amoxicillin, ampicillin, cephalexin, cefotaxime, cefuroxime, ciprofloxacin, clarithromycin, clindamycin, chloramphenicol, cyproterone, erythromycin, flutamide, spironolactone, sulfamethoxazole, tamoxifen, and trimethoprim. Limits of detection (LOD) ranged from 0.2 to 6.0 µg/L while quantification limits (LOQ) from 0.3 to 20 µg/L. Recovery percentages were between 70 and 125%. Total analysis time was short, with all compounds being resolved in less than 2.1 min. Of the 22 tap water samples collected and analyzed, the highest concentrations corresponded to amoxicillin (147 µg/L) and ciprofloxacin (44 µg/L). The findings could set a precedent for establishing safe levels of these compounds and increasing standards for tap water quality in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic was a challenge for the whole world, and it had major secondary effects on humans and environmental health. The viral infection induced, in many situations, secondary bacterial infections, especially enteric infections, by destabilizing the balance of the gastrointestinal microbiota. The large-scale use of antibiotics and biocides for both curative and preventive purposes has resulted in an increase in bacterial resistance, and at the same time, the possibility of pathogenic microorganism multiplication and their dissemination to natural environments. Wastewater is the main vector of fecal microorganisms that favors their dissemination into natural aquatic ecosystems. The present paper aims to analyze the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the microbiological quality of wastewater from sewage treatment plants in Romania and its impact on receiving rivers. In order to highlight different and important areas in Romania, three cities from the east, center and west were selected for a microbiological evaluation of their WWTP influents and effluents from the pre-COVID-19 period and during the COVID-19 pandemic peak period, when the COVID-19 pandemic had a direct impact on WWTP microbial compositions. Our study shows that a higher level of contamination with fecal bacteria is linked to a higher COVID-19 incidence. The increased usage of pharmaceutical compounds, in turn, increases the number of resistant bacteria reaching the environment via WWTP effluents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advanced oxidation process (AOP) is an efficient method to treat recalcitrance pollutants such as pharmaceutical compounds. The essential physicochemical factors in AOP experiments significantly influence the efficiency, speed, cost, and safety of byproducts of the treatment process. In this review, we collected recent articles that investigated the elimination of pharmaceutical compounds by various AOP systems in a water medium, and then we provide an overview of AOP systems, the formation mechanisms of active radicals or reactive oxygen species (ROS), and their detection methods. Then, we discussed the role of the main physicochemical parameters (pH, chemical interference, temperature, catalyst, pollutant concentration, and oxidant concentration) in a critical way. We gained insight into the most frequent scenarios for the proper and improper physicochemical parameters for the degradation of pharmaceutical compounds. Also, we mentioned the main factors that restrict the application of AOP systems in a commercial way. We demonstrated that a proper adjustment of AOP experimental parameters resulted in promoting the treatment performance, decreasing the treatment cost and the treatment operation time, increasing the safeness of the system products, and improving the reaction stoichiometric efficiency. The outcomes of this review will be beneficial for future AOP applicants to improve the pharmaceutical compound treatment by providing a deeper understanding of the role of the parameters. In addition, the proper application of physicochemical parameters in AOP systems acts to track the sustainable development goals (SDGs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cationic hydrogel particles (CHPs) crosslinked with glutaraldehyde were synthesized and characterized to evaluate their removal capacity for two globally consumed antibiotics: amoxicillin and sulfamethoxazole. The obtained material was characterized by FTIR, SEM, and TGA, confirming effective crosslinking. The optimal working pH was determined to be 6.0 for amoxicillin and 4.0 for sulfamethoxazole. Under these conditions, the CHPs achieved over 90.0% removal of amoxicillin after 360 min at room temperature, while sulfamethoxazole removal reached approximately 60.0% after 300 min. Thermodynamic analysis indicated that adsorption occurs through a physisorption process and is endothermic. The ΔH° values of 28.38 kJ mol−1, 12.39 kJ mol−1, and ΔS° 97.19 J mol−1 K−1, and 33.94 J mol−1 K−1 for AMX and SMX, respectively. These results highlight the potential of CHPs as promising materials for the removal of such contaminants from aqueous media.

The residues of pharmaceutical compounds are often resistant to degradation, causing an environmental problem. Our research aimed to perform a study of the photocatalytic and photoelectrocatalytic degradation of non-opioid analgesic paracetamol and some of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (ketoprofen, naproxen, diclofenac, and ibuprofen). Semiconductor WO3, Fe2O3, and WO3/Fe2O3 photocatalysis using solar energy lamps were applied for this purpose. As a result of the photocatalytic processes, high decomposition efficiency was obtained for ketoprofen (97%) and naproxen (70%). Low photodegradation yields were achieved for diclofenac. Under the used measurement conditions, both paracetamol and ibuprofen were not degraded.

Ketoprofen is a non-biodegradable drug and is not removed by conventional treatments. The need to remove pharmaceutical compounds from water and wastewater has aroused considerable interest in advanced oxidation processes (AOP), whose effectiveness depends on the generation of reactive free radicals capable of oxidizing and decomposing numerous compounds. Heterogeneous photocatalysis is an efficient method if an active semiconductor is used. In this work, the photodegradation reaction of ketoprofen promoted by TiO2 was studied, analyzing the kinetics obtained by changing variables such as temperature, initial concentration, and quantity of photocatalyst. It was determined that the mechanism is of the Langmuir–Hinshelwood type and that the system is operating in the kinetic regime, while tests at different temperatures have shown that the adsorption of ketoprofen and byproducts are both exothermic. Experimental data were interpreted with reliable models that allow to retrieve quantitatively the kinetic and thermodynamic parameters.

The increasing prevalence of pharmaceutical substances in wastewater is emerging as a pressing ecological issue on a global scale. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the biological influence of pharmaceutical compounds on the heterotrophic biomass residing in a membrane bioreactor. The study examined the way microorganisms react to antibiotic and anti-inflammatory compounds, with the goal of proactively tackling potential issues and developing solutions that may emerge withing wastewater treatment plant bioreactors. Respirometric tests were carried out to determine the kinetic response of the heterotrophic biomass. The same study was carried out in the steady state of the plant under different conditions of hydraulic retention times (6 and 12 h) and biomass concentration (2888 ± 371 mg/L to 7477 ± 869 mg/L). A response surface statistical analysis was applied to determine the effect of the variables on the rate of substrate degradation for organic matter removal and the growth rate of net heterotrophic biomass. The results show that the biological response of the biomass is concerned when exposed to a combination of pharmaceutical substances such as ibuprofen, diclofenac, and erythromycin, in four cycles of operation at 16 varying concentrations of pharmaceuticals in each cycle. This suggests the presence of a synergistic effect among these pharmaceuticals, leading to a noticeable slower kinetic response in the biomass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Many industrially synthesized human - therapeutic agents, agrochemicals, and additives used by industries are heterocyclic compounds. Many of these contribute to increased environmental contamination in localized and diffuse sources of water bodies, reflecting soil quality, communities, and human health. This concern led us to develop this research to evaluate the presence of organic compounds in the surface waters of the Pirapó river basin, Paraná, Brazil, influenced by the soybean and safflower corn crops that are cultivated in adjacent areas around the river. The water samples were collected from October 2017 to January 2019, at three collection points. Organic compounds were analyzed by GC-MS, after the solid phase extraction (SPE). Two organic compounds were analyzed: azetidine and sarcosine that are used in the pharmaceutical industry. Organic compounds existing in drugs and/or contaminants that were observed in this study reveal the importance of further investigation into their origins and the consequences for the health of the biota and the population.

The solid–liquid equilibria (SLE) of ternary mixtures of pharmaceutical compound + water + solid cosolvent cyclodextrin (CD) were calculated using the Wilson equation as the activity coefficient model, to evaluate the cosolvency of CD for poorly water-soluble pharmaceutical compounds. The pharmaceutical compounds were etodolac and famotidine. The cosolvents were CD and its derivatives, i.e., α-CD, β-CD, 2-HP-β-CD, 2-HE-β-CD, and M-β-CD. A simple group contribution method was constructed to predict the enthalpy of fusion of the CDs, which is needed to calculate the SLE of the system containing CD. The binary interaction parameters in the Wilson equation Λij were determined from solubility data for the pharmaceutical compounds and CDs in pure water and from experimental ternary data. The calculated solubilities were compared with those obtained using the modified Chrastil model. The proposed method gave almost the same calculation accuracies to the modified Chrastil model using fewer fitting parameters.

Pharmaceutical compounds present in liquid effluents have great environmental impact. Thus, the development of alternative adsorbent materials from agro‐industrial activities has received attention. This work aimed to adsorb ibuprofen onto activated carbon from olive pomace and evaluate the parameters of the adsorption system. The experiments were performed in batch and continuous flow. The mathematical models that best described the experimental data were the pseudo‐second‐order and Langmuir models for kinetic and isothermal studies. The fixed bed experiments showed a good fit for the Thomas model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the new class of porous materials MIL-100(Cr) was synthetized using a solvent-free methodology to evaluate the removal of the pharmaceutical contaminants Paracetamol, Ibuprofen, Metformin, or Carbamazepine from aqueous sources. This adsorbent was characterized by thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy with attenuated total reflectance, Raman spectroscopy, nitrogen adsorption-desorption, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The characterization technique results indicated that the synthesized MIL-100(Cr) has a non-uniform structure of different sizes as well as a low crystallinity structure and is thermally stable up to ~ 300 °C with a surface negatively charged in the assay pH range and the presence of two types of cavities, pentagonal and hexagonal, with sizes of 1.10 nm and 1.49 nm. The results of adsorption demonstrated higher values of Carbamazepine, Paracetamol, and Ibuprofen on MIL-100(Cr) with values of 21 mg L−1, 20 mg L−1, and 17 mg L−1, respectively, while in the case of Metformin, a lower value of 12 mg L−1 was observed. The differences in the adsorption values were explained by different interactions between the pharmaceutical compounds and the MIL-100(Cr), such as π–π and electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonds. Despite the low crystallinity observed in MIL-100(Cr), due to synthesis solvent-free methodologies used, this material maintains the structural and physicochemical characteristics required to be utilized as an adsorbent of pharmaceutical contaminants from aqueous solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pharmaceuticals and microplastics have long been identified as water pollutants. Pollutants, including pharmaceutical compounds, have been shown to be transported by microplastics (MPs). In this mini-review, adsorption mechanism between microplastics and emerging contaminants were highlighted. Polyethylene is a non-polar, semi-cystalline microplastic with a density of 240 to 244 kg/m³. Besides, Ibuprofen adsorption onto microplastics is pH dependent. Non-polar or neutral compounds that are homogeneous and extremely hydrophobic in nature interact with non-polar and weakly polar plastics such as Polypropylene and Polyethylene. Furthermore, Molecular dynamic (MD) simulation can be employed to study the mechanism of interaction between MPs and contaminants. As a result, some studies show a complex interaction between polyethylene (PE) and certain contaminants, with no significant differences in adsorption energies, but sulfamethazine molecules effectively adsorbed on the MPs surface. In summary, this mini review shed lights on the insights of adsorption mechanism between these compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many valuable therapeutic substances can be found in the marine environment and Actinomycetes are a goldmine for many pharmaceutical compounds among the different marine biota, which may have unique characteristics with novel structural elements which were not found in terrestrial actinomycetes. Antibiotics produced by these microorganisms, their bioactivities, and how their chemical structures have inspired generations of scientists working in the synthesis of new drugs are described thoroughly. In the present research the Streptomyces sp. NLKPB45 strain isolated from marine sediments were chosen for further investigation based on its bioactive potential availability. The structure of the extracted compound was characterized by 1H NMR and 13C NMR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Bioaugmentation and composting have been combined for emerging pollutants removal. • Physicochemical features during composting were improved under bioaugmentation. • Bioaugmentation yields to a more stable, mature and sanitized final compost. • Penicillium improved metals immobilization and the pharmaceuticals degradation. • Toxicity in sewage sludge was reduced after bioaugmentation with Penicillium. Around 143,000 chemicals find their fate in wastewater treatment plants in the European Union. Low efficiency on their removal at lab-based studies and even poorer performance at large scale experiments have been reported. Here, a coupled biological technology (bioaugmentation and composting) is proposed and proved for pharmaceutical active compounds degradation and toxicity reduction. The optimization was conducted through in situ inoculation of Penicillium oxalicum XD 3.1 and an enriched consortium (obtained from non-digested sewage sludge), into pilot scale piles of sewage sludge under real conditions. This bioaugmentation-composting system allowed a better performance of micropollutants degradation (21 % from the total pharmaceuticals detected at the beginning of the experiment) than a traditional composting process. Particularly, inoculation with P. oxalicum allowed the degradation of some recalcitrant compounds like carbamazepine, cotinine and methadone, and also produced better stabilization features in the mature compost (significant passivation of copper and zinc, higher macronutrients value, adequate physicochemical conditions for soil direct application and less toxic effect on germination) compared to the control and the enriched culture. These findings provide a feasible, alternative strategy to obtain a safer mature compost and a better removal of micropollutants performance at large scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The occurrence of pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs), nutrients, and an artificial sweetener acesulfame in wastewater, and subsequent removal in an engineered system comprising aerobic wetland, anaerobic wetland, and steel slag cells, were investigated. The PhACs evaluated in this study covered a range of octanol–water partition coefficients (log Kow = 0.07–2.45) and acid dissociation constants (pKa = 1.7–13.9) and included carbamazepine, caffeine, sulfamethoxazole, ibuprofen, and naproxen. The mean flow rate in the system was 0.89 m3 day−1 (0.02 to 4.27 m3 day−1), representing a hydraulic retention time of 5 days. The removal efficiencies of PO4-P, NH3-N, and cBOD5 in the treatment system were >99, 82, and 98%. The removal efficiencies for the PhACs and acesulfame were classified into four groups, including those that were (a) efficiently removed (caffeine by >75%); (b) moderately removed (ibuprofen by 50–75%); (c) poorly removed (sulfamethoxazole and naproxen by 25–50%); and (d) recalcitrant (carbamazepine and acesulfame by <25%). Variability in concentrations and treatment efficiencies was observed in different sampling events, which may be due to variations in input concentrations or changes in the flow rate. The addition of a steel slag cell increased the overall removal efficiency of the studied compounds, except for carbamazepine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pharmaceutical compounds (PCs) are one of the most notable water pollutants of the current age with severe impacts on the ecosystem. Hence, scientists and engineers are continuously working on developing different materials and technologies to eradicate PCs from aqueous media. Among various new-age materials, graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) is one of the wonder substances with excellent catalytic property. The current review article describes the latest trend in the application of g-C3N4-based catalyst materials towards the degradation of various kinds of drugs and pharmaceutical products present in wastewater. The synthesis procedure of different g-C3N4-based catalysts is covered in brief, and this is followed by different PCs degraded as described by different workers. The applicability of these novel catalysts in the real field has been highlighted along with different optimization techniques in practice. Different techniques often explored to characterize the g-C3N4-based materials are also described. Finally, existing challenges in this field along with future perspectives are presented before concluding the article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The release of a wide variety of persistent chemical contaminants into wastewater has become a growing concern due to their potential health and environmental risks. While the toxic effects of these pollutants on aquatic organisms have been extensively studied, their impact on microbial pathogens and their virulence mechanisms remains largely unexplored. This research paper focuses on the identification and prioritization of chemical pollutants that increase bacterial pathogenicity, which is a public health concern. In order to predict how chemical compounds, such as pesticides and pharmaceuticals, would affect the virulence mechanisms of three bacterial strains (Escherichia coli K12, Pseudomonas aeruginosa H103, and Salmonella enterica serovar. Typhimurium), this study has developed quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) models. The use of analysis of variance (ANOVA) functions assists in developing QSAR models based on the chemical structure of the compounds, to predict their effect on the growth and swarming behavior of the bacterial strains. The results showed an uncertainty in the created model, and that increases in virulence factors, including growth and motility of bacteria, after exposure to the studied compounds are possible to be predicted. These results could be more accurate if the interactions between groups of functions are included. For that, to make an accurate and universal model, it is essential to incorporate a larger number of compounds of similar and different structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we report multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) functionalized with γ‐cyclodextrins (γCD) as a novel electrochemical strategy for Rutin determination, showing superior performance than β‐cyclodextrins (βCD) modified MWCNTs, suggesting an adequate environment for host‐guest interactions. Under optimized conditions, the sensor showed a linear range of 39–975 nmol L−1 and a limit of detection of 7 nmol L−1. When tested with quercetin, catechin, and caffeine, the platform presented high selectivity with an interference response <10 %. The method was employed to quantify Rutin in spiked pharmaceutical and herbal extracts, providing recovery of 93–98.4 %. Also, HPLC‐PDA confirmed the method's accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) act as antipyretics, analgesics and anti-inflammatories. Among them, diclofenac and ibuprofen are the most consumed drugs worldwide. During the COVID-19 pandemic, some NSAIDs, such as dipyrone and paracetamol, have been used to alleviate the symptoms of the disease, causing an increase in the concentrations of these drugs in water. However, due to the low concentration of these compounds in drinking water and groundwater, few studies have been carried out on the subject, especially in Brazil. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the contamination of the surface water, groundwater, and water treated with diclofenac, dipyrone, ibuprofen, and paracetamol at 3 cities (Orocó, Santa Maria da Boa Vista and Petrolândia) in the Brazilian semiarid region, in addition to analyzing the removal of these drugs by conventional water treatment (coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, filtration and disinfection) in stations to each city. All drugs analyzed were detected in surface and treated waters. In groundwater, only dipyrone was not found. Dipyrone was seen in surface water with a maximum concentration of 1858.02 μg.L−1, followed by ibuprofen (785.28 μg.L−1), diclofenac (759.06 μg.L−1) and paracetamol (533.64 μg.L−1). The high concentrations derive from the increased consumption of these substances during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the conventional water treatment, the maximum removal of diclofenac, dipyrone, ibuprofen and paracetamol was 22.42%; 3.00%; 32.74%; and 1.58%, respectively, which confirms the inefficiency of this treatment in removing drugs. The variation in removal rate of the analyzed drugs is due to the difference in the hydrophobicity of the compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the advancement of technology and nanotechnology, new extraction sorbents have been created and effectively used for the magnetic solid-phase extraction of target analytes. Some of the investigated sorbents have better chemical and physical properties, exhibiting high extraction efficiency and strong repeatability, combined with low detection and quantification limits. In this study graphene oxide (GO) magnetic composites were prepared and used as magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) adsorbents along with synthesized silica based magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) functionalized with the C18 group for the preconcentration of emerging contaminants (ECs) in wastewater samples generated from hospital and urban facilities. The sample preparation with magnetic materials was followed by UHPLC-Orbitrap MS analysis for the accurate identification and determination of trace amounts of pharmaceutical active compounds and artificial sweeteners in effluent wastewater. Optimal conditions were used for the extraction of ECs from the aqueous samples, prior to UHPLC-Orbitrap MS determination. The proposed methods achieved low quantitation limits between 1.1–33.6 ng L−1 and 1.8–98.7 ng L−1 and satisfactory recoveries in the range of 58.4%–102.6%. An intra-day precision of less than 23.1% was achieved, while inter-day RSD% values in the range of 5.6–24.8% were observed. These figures of merit suggest that our proposed methodology is suitable for the determination of target ECs in aquatic systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]