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Enhanced biodegradation of fluorinated pharmaceutical by Aspergillus flavus and Cunninghamella elegans biofilms: kinetics and mechanisms

Summary

Two types of fungi, Aspergillus flavus and Cunninghamella elegans, can effectively break down pharmaceutical pollutants commonly found in wastewater, such as antidepressants and antibiotics. When grown as biofilms on foam carriers, these fungi removed over 90% of the target pharmaceuticals very quickly. The fungi accomplish this primarily through enzymatic breakdown rather than absorption, making them promising candidates for cleaning wastewater at treatment plants.

Background

Pharmaceutically active compounds (PhAC) have been detected in wastewater and receiving rivers as conventional wastewater treatment is not optimized for their removal. Fluorinated pharmaceuticals pose unique challenges due to the exceptional stability of the carbon-fluorine bond. While white-rot fungi have been studied for PhAC degradation, their efficiency varies significantly for different fluorinated compounds.

Objective

This study investigated the capacity of Aspergillus flavus and Cunninghamella elegans to degrade three persistent fluorinated pharmaceuticals (atorvastatin, ciprofloxacin, and fluoxetine) using an innovative biofilm-based approach with polyurethane foam as a carrier in fixed and moving configurations.

Results

C. elegans biofilms on PUF-F achieved 97.3% atorvastatin and 97.7% ciprofloxacin removal, while A. flavus achieved 92.4% fluoxetine reduction. Pseudo-first-order degradation kinetics showed remarkably short half-lives (1.0-1.7 days), with adsorption contributing minimally (<10%) to overall removal. C. elegans exhibited superior surface hydrophobicity (0.76) and stress resistance, while A. flavus developed denser extracellular matrices.

Conclusion

Tailored fungal biofilm systems demonstrate efficient removal of recalcitrant pharmaceuticals with species-specific characteristics as key factors. The study provides insights into degradation mechanisms and operational parameters that could guide development of scalable fungal bioremediation technologies for wastewater treatment applications.
  • Published in:Biodegradation,
  • Study Type:Experimental Study,
  • Source: 10.1007/s10532-025-10182-w
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