Objective: To test the toxicity of ketoprofen (a commonly-used NSAIDs) using two microalgal strains and Artemia sp. following the isolation of bacterial and microalgal strains and testing their ability to biodegrade and tolerate ketoprofen.
Results: Chlorella sp. was the most resistant to ketoprofen. A defined bacterial consortium (K2) degraded 5 mM ketoprofen as a sole carbon source both in the dark or continuous illumination. Ketoprofen did not undergo photodegradation. In the dark, biodegradation was faster with a lag phase of 10 h, 41% COD removal and 82 % reduction in toxicity. The consortium degraded up to 16 mM ketoprofen. The consortium was composed of four bacterial isolates that were identified. MS/MS analysis suggested a ketoprofen biodegradation pathway that has not been previously reported. Combining Chlorella sp. and the K2 consortium, ketoprofen was degraded within 7 days under a diurnal cycle of 12 h light/12 h dark.
Conclusion: The feasibility of using a microalgal-bacterial system to treat pharmaceutical wastewater is promising for the reduction of the process cost and providing a safer technology for pharmaceutical wastewater treatment.
Keywords: Artemia; Biodegradation; Chlorella; Ketoprofen NSAIDs; Spirulina; Wastewater.