MYCOLab Ai Logo - gold and army green

Editorial: Pharmaceutically active micropollutants – how serious is the problem and is there a microbial way out?

Summary

Medicines we take don’t fully disappear—30 to 90% are excreted unchanged and end up in water supplies. These pharmaceutical residues contaminate drinking water and harm aquatic life worldwide. Scientists are discovering that certain fungi and bacteria can break down these drug residues through natural metabolic processes. By harnessing these microbes in treatment systems and improving waste management practices, we could significantly reduce pharmaceutical pollution.

Background

Pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) including antibiotics, drugs, and hormones are extensively used in medicine, agriculture, and biotechnology. Global medical dose consumption increased by approximately 24% from 2015 to 2020, with 30-90% of orally consumed antibiotics excreted in active form into water bodies. These micropollutants are now consistently detected in groundwater, drinking water, and treated wastewater, posing risks to ecosystems and human health.

Objective

This editorial synthesizes findings from five significant research papers addressing the severity of pharmaceutical micropollutant pollution and explores innovative microbial strategies for mitigation. The collection examines how microorganisms including bacteria and fungi can degrade PhACs through various metabolic pathways and enzymatic processes.

Results

Key findings show that white rot fungi (Trametes spp., Pleurotus spp., Phanerochaete spp.), actinomycetes (Rhodococcus species), and fungal enzymes (laccases, peroxidases, monooxygenases) demonstrate significant potential for PhAC degradation. Integrative treatment approaches combining microfiltration, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, photo-oxidation, and advanced oxidation processes show enhanced effectiveness. Low- to middle-income countries are most impacted due to inadequate wastewater infrastructure.

Conclusion

Microbial bioremediation emerges as a promising technique for neutralizing pharmaceutically active micropollutants. Comprehensive global strategies requiring strict pharmaceutical use regulations, improved waste management systems, robust monitoring programs, advanced detection technologies, and public awareness are essential. Integration of omics approaches, synthetic biology, and genetically engineered microorganisms offers optimized solutions while requiring ecological safety assessments.
  • Published in:Frontiers in Microbiology,
  • Study Type:Editorial Review,
  • Source: PMID: 39282568, DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1466334
Scroll to Top