Removal of pharmaceuticals and personal care products using native fungal enzymes extracted during the ligninolytic process

Abstract

Significant concentrations of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) have been detected in aquatic environment. Fungal enzymatic processes can oxidize these persistent PPCPs; thus, these processes have attracted considerable attention from the scientific community. Here, we evaluated the efficacy of the removal of PPCPs using native fungal enzymes derived from Bjerkandera spp. TBB-03 under various conditions. Among the eight lignocellulosic substrates, ash, which showed the highest laccase production, was selected as the sole enzyme inducer. TBB-03 laccase was found to exhibit remarkable stability under varied pH and temperature conditions. Acetaminophen and bisphenol A were effectively removed by TBB-03 laccase under various conditions, except at pH 8. Although TBB-03 laccase could not efficiently remove single-state sulfamethoxazole directly, a 22% of improvement in sulfamethoxazole removal was observed in the presence of acetaminophen. Overall, our proposed approach showed that Bjerkandera adusta TBB-03 can be potentially applied for further research regarding PPCP remediation.

Keywords: Biodegradation; Fungi; Lignocellulosic substrates; Native enzymes; Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs).