Phytoremediation of Pharmaceuticals—Preliminary Study

Abstract

Phytoremediation of selected pharmaceuticals (diclofenac, ibuprofen, and acetaminophen) using Armoracia rusticana and Linum usitatissimum cell cultures and by hydroponically cultivated Lupinus albus, Hordeum vulgaris, and Phragmites australis plants in laboratory conditions is described. During in vitro experiments, the best results for acetaminophen were achieved using Armoracia rusticana hairy root cultures, where 100% of the starting amount was removed from the media during eight days. Total removal of ibuprofen and diclofenac was achieved using a Linum usitatissimum suspension culture after one and six days, respectively. In the hydroponic arrangement, the best results were achieved for Lupinus, where acetaminophen was totally removed from media during two or four days in concentrations of 0.1 or 0.2 mM, respectively. The best effectiveness of ibuprofen removal (50% of starting amount) was found in case of Phragmites. Effectiveness of all tested plants for diclofenac removal was low. The best removal was achieved using Phragmites in the case of 0.2 mM concentration-67% of the starting amount and Hordeum for 0.1 mM starting concentration, 56%.

Assessment of ibuprofen tolerance and removal capability in Populus nigra L. by in vitro culture

“…Increasing concentrations of IBU did not cause any tolerance reduction but on the contrary stimulated growth. Contrasting data are present in the literature on the toxicity effect of IBU on plants, mainly due to the concentration and the substrate tested [17,18,34]. Tolerance of poplar cells to IBU was also assessed by the evaluation of the oxidative stress status of cells (MDA assay) and the membrane redox capacity (ferricyanide reduction assay).…”

“…In this work, callus cultures of P. nigra showed a remarkable tolerance to IBU supplied to growth medium for three weeks at a concentration (0.03 mg L −1 ) approximately 1000-fold times higher than found in surface waters in Italy [35]. Although IBU concentrations and time of exposure can be considered not environmentally relevant, they were chosen to induce a physiological response in plant cells, according to similar experiments [18,31]. Increasing concentrations of IBU did not cause any tolerance reduction but on the contrary stimulated growth.…”

“…Advantages and limits of phytoremediation of organic pollutants have been reviewed [13,14]. In this regard, a remarkable ability to remove pharmaceuticals and personal care products from water by different plant species, tested in constructed wetlands [15,16] or on a laboratory scale [17][18][19], is evidenced.…”

Evaluation of biological endpoints in crop plants after exposure to non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): Implications for phytotoxicological assessment of novel contaminants

“…However, ecotoxicological studies on the impact of human pharmaceuticals in plant systems are rare. A number of studies have investigated the potential uptake of human pharmaceuticals in different crop plants in order to evaluate potential human exposure (Calderón-Preciado et al, 2011;Herklotz et al, 2010;Holling et al, 2012;Redshaw et al, 2008b;Sabourin et al, 2012;Tanoue et al, 2012;Wu et al, 2013), or for phytoremediation purposes (Kotyza et al, 2010;Migliore et al, 2000). However, there has been little consideration of the effects of these novel pollutants upon the plant itself.…”

Assessment of diclofenac LC50 reference values in juvenile and embryonic stages of the zebrafish (Danio rerio)

“…It is readily metabolized after oral use, but assimilation is lower after dermal application (Buser et al 1998). After being used in human therapy, this drug finds its way into municipal sewage treatment plants, where it is not completely eliminated and is often discharged as a contaminant to the receiving waters (Hallare et al 2004, Glassmeyer and Shoemaker 2005, Kotyza et al 2009). The predicted environmental concentration (PEC) for Central European surface waters is set at 0.54 μg/L (Hallare et al 2004).…”