Catalytically enhanced direct degradation of nitro-based antibacterial agents using dielectric barrier discharge cold atmospheric pressure plasma and rhenium nanoparticles

Mujahid Ameen Khan; Anna Dzimitrowicz; Magda Caban; Piotr Jamroz; Dominik Terefinko; Włodzimierz Tylus; Pawel Pohl; Piotr Cyganowski

doi:10.1016/j.envres.2023.116297

Catalytically enhanced direct degradation of nitro-based antibacterial agents using dielectric barrier discharge cold atmospheric pressure plasma and rhenium nanoparticles

Environ Res. 2023 Aug 15;231(Pt 3):116297. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116297. Epub 2023 Jun 1.

Authors

Mujahid Ameen Khan¹, Anna Dzimitrowicz¹, Magda Caban², Piotr Jamroz¹, Dominik Terefinko¹, Włodzimierz Tylus³, Pawel Pohl¹, Piotr Cyganowski⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Analytical Chemistry and Chemical Metallurgy, Faculty of Chemistry, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, 27 Wybrzeze Wyspianskiego, 50-370, Wroclaw, Poland.
² Department of Environmental Analysis, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdansk, 63 Wita Stwosza, 80-308, Gdansk, Poland.
³ Department of Advanced Materials Technologies, Faculty of Chemistry, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, 27 Wybrzeze Wyspianskiego, 50-370, Wroclaw, Poland.
⁴ Department of Process Engineering and Technology of Polymer and Carbonaceous Materials, Faculty of Chemistry, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, 27 Wybrzeze Wyspianskiego, 50-370, Wroclaw, Poland. Electronic address: piotr.cyganowski@pwr.edu.pl.

PMID: 37268206
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116297

Abstract

The common utilization of antimicrobial agents in medicine and veterinary creates serious problems with multidrug resistance spreading among pathogens. Bearing this in mind, wastewaters have to be completely purified from antimicrobial agents. In this context, a dielectric barrier discharge cold atmospheric pressure plasma (DBD-CAPP) system was used in the present study as a multifunctional tool for the deactivation of nitro-based pharmacuticals such as furazolidone (FRz) and chloramphenicol (ChRP) in solutions. A direct approach was applied to this by treating solutions of the studied drugs by DBD-CAPP in the presence of the ReO₄^- ions. It was found that Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and Reactive Nitrogen Species (RNS), generated in the DBD-CAPP-treated liquid, played a dual role in the process. On the one hand, ROS and RNS led to the direct degradation of FRz and ChRP, and on the other hand, they enabled the production of Re nanoparticles (ReNPs). The produced in this manner ReNPs consisted of catalytically active Re⁺⁴, Re⁺⁶, and Re⁺⁷ species which allowed the reduction of -NO₂ groups contained in the FRz and ChRP. Unlike the DBD-CAPP, the catalytically enhanced DBD-CAPP led to almost FRz and ChRP removals from studied solutions. The catalytic boost was particularly highlighted when catalyst/DBD-CAPP was operated in the synthetic waste matrix. Re-active sites in this scenario led to the facilitated deactivation of antibiotics, achieving significantly higher FRz and ChRP removals than DBD-CAPP on its own.

Keywords: Chloramphenicol; Furazolidone; Metallic nanoparticles; Multidrug resistance; Non-thermal plasma; Reduction.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
Anti-Infective Agents*
Atmospheric Pressure
Chloramphenicol
Furazolidone
Plasma Gases* / chemistry
Reactive Oxygen Species
Rhenium*

Substances

Anti-Bacterial Agents
Rhenium
Reactive Oxygen Species
Plasma Gases
Anti-Infective Agents
Chloramphenicol
Furazolidone