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Capacity of erythromycin phytoremediation by differential aquatic macrophytes
1 , 1 , 1 , 1 , 2 , * 1
1  Laboratório de Fisiologia de Plantas sob Estresse, Dep. de Botânica, Setor de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Av. Coronel Francisco H. dos Santos, 100, Centro Politécnico, Jardim das Américas, 81531-980, Curitiba, Paraná, Brasil
2  Departamento de Fitotecnia e Fitossanidade, Setor de Ciências Agrárias, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Rua dos Funcionários, 1540, CEP 80035-050, Juvevê, Curitiba, Paraná, Brasil

Abstract:

Despite technological advances, wastewater treatment systems are still inefficient in the complete removal of antibiotic residues, making the presence of these chemicals in the environment a problem for the aquatic community in addition to contributing to the selection and spread of microbial resistance. As a sustainable alternative, phytoremediation uses the ability of aquatic plants to purify water, which, among other factors, depends on the intrinsic characteristics of each species. Thus, we investigated the capacity for erythromycin removal between different free-floating (Salvinia molesta and Lemna minor) and submerged macrophyte species (Myriophyllum aquaticum and Rotala rotundufolia). Plants were submitted for 7 days to the antibiotic (0 and 1.7 µg. L-1) in growth media. Parallel experiments were conducted at the same conditions in flasks without plants to evaluate erythromycin degradation. The antibiotic concentrations in growth solution were evaluated at the beginning (T0) and final time of exposure (T7) while they were evaluated in whole plants at T7. Degradation of erythromycin occurred, however, its concentration in the growth media of flasks with plants were significantly lower. The antibiotic was also detected in plants, indicating their capacity for erythromycin removal. Removal capacity was greater in submerged (31 to 44%) than in floating species (9 to 12%). Similarly, the concentration of erythromycin in the plants were greater in submerged plants. The antibiotic was not detected either in plants or growth solution of the control treatment. Thus, although the four species of macrophytes studied are capable of removing erythromycin from the solution, the submerged species have greater potential for remediation and should, when possible, be prioritized in phytoremediation projects.

Keywords: antibiotics; macrolide; emerging contaminants; wastewater treatment; microbial resistance
Comments on this paper
Usman Bawa
Phytoremediation
1. Could the submerged macrophytes species be use for large scale phytoremediation projects?
2. How would rate the efficiency of this new techniques in phytoremediation processes compared to any of the chemical methods been used?
Daiane Rocha
Hi, thanks for your comment.
Yes, they can be used and are indicated due to their greater phytoremediation potential. However, they need planned management to avoid uncontrolled growth and also to renew phytoremediation capacity with new plants.
Daiane Rocha
Despite technological advances in sewage processing, traditional wastewater treatment generally does not achieve the efficiency required to remove organic contaminants, such as antibiotics. This fact is mainly due to the difficulty in treating / removing pollutants with low concentration (ppm or ppb). Techniques such as membrane bioreactors, reverse osmosis, activated carbon absorption, nanofiltration, chlorination and photolysis are used to maximize purification efficiency. However, in addition to incomplete removal, in many cases these technologies are costly and energy-consuming. Erythromycin, for example, is extremely resistant to different levels of treatment in sewage treatment plants and its effluents end up contaminating the environment. This can occur with other antibiotics where the original compound as well as its metabolite (which in some cases is more toxic than the original molecule) can contaminate the environment. In this sense, the correct management of phytoremediation species is a viable technology for removing these compounds from the water.



 
 
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