Isolation and Characterization of Drug-degrading or DrugTransforming Microorganisms and Study of the Involved Biochemical Mechanisms

Abstract

The presence of pharmaceutical compounds, in the environment is considered as an emerging problem in the last decades due to their harmful effects on non-target organisms at low concentrations (ng/µg/l). This study deals with the biodegradation/biotransformation of some pharmaceutical compounds: diclofenac, ibuprofen and sulfamethoxazole by bacterial cultures isolated from the environment (activated sludge and household compost), in order to highlight the fate of these compounds in the environment. The isolated bacteria belonging to the genera Arthrobacter, Pseudomonas and Enterobacter showed high potential to eliminate these drugs in different conditions and with different elimination rates (from no removal to almost total elimination) with the absence of any toxicity of the generated metabolites. This performance can be exploited in the bioremediation process for the treatment of the contaminated effluents with this type of micropollutants.