Using phytoremediation technologies to upgrade waste water treatment in Europe

Schröder, Peter; Navarro-Aviñó, Juan; Azaizeh, Hassan; Goldhirsh, Avi Golan; Gregorio, Simona Di; Kőmíves, Tamás; Langergraber, Günter; Lenz, Anton; Maestri, Elena; Memon, Abdul Razaque; Ranalli, A.; Sebastiani, L.; Smrček, Stanislav; Vaněk, Tomáš; Vuilleumier, Stéphane; Wissing, Frieder

doi:10.1065/espr2006.12.373

Cited by 132 publications

(52 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…Increasing proportions of all prescribed pharmaceuticals are excreted into sewage and treated in waste water treatment plants. Current literature proves that significant amounts of the active compounds or the first metabolites can be detected throughout the world at concentrations in the ng/l to μg/l range, even in the best available treatment systems (Kolpin et al 2002;Schröder et al 2007). Being designed as biologically active compounds, even the lowest concentrations of medicaments might have an impact on human health or on the aquatic food web, considering the potential of chronic exposure (Salomon 2005).…”

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confidence: 99%

Metabolism of acetaminophen (paracetamol) in plants—two independent pathways result in the formation of a glutathione and a glucose conjugate

Huber¹,

Bartha²,

Harpaintner³

et al. 2009

Environ Sci Pollut Res

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121

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Background, aim, and scope Pharmaceuticals and their metabolites are detected in the aquatic environment and our drinking water supplies. The need for high quality drinking water is one of the most challenging problems of our times, but still only little knowledge exists on the impact of these compounds on ecosystems, animals, and man. Biological waste water treatment in constructed wetlands is an effective and low-cost alternative, especially for the treatment of non-industrial, municipal waste water. In this situation, plants get in contact with pharmaceutical compounds and have to tackle their detoxification. The mechanisms for the detoxification of xenobiotics in plants are closely related to the mammalian system. An activation reaction (phase I) is followed by a conjugation (phase II) with hydrophilic molecules like glutathione or glucose. Phase III reactions can be summarized as storage, degradation, and transport of the xenobiotic conjugate. Until now, there is no information available on the fate of pharmaceuticals in plants. In this study, we want to investigate the fate and metabolism of N-acetyl-4-aminophenol (paracetamol) in plant tissues using the cell culture of Armoracia rusticana L. as a model system. Materials and methods A hairy root culture of A. rusticana was treated with acetaminophen in a liquid culture. The formation and identification of metabolites over time were analyzed using HPLC-DAD and LC-MS n techniques. Results With LC-MS technique, we were able to detect paracetamol and identify three of its metabolites in root cells of A. rusticana. Six hours after incubation with 1 mM of acetaminophen, the distribution of acetaminophen and related metabolites in the cells resulted in 18% paracetamol, 64% paracetamol-glucoside, 17% paracetamol glutathione, and 1% of the corresponding cysteine conjugate. Discussion The formation of two independently formed metabolites in plant root cells again revealed strong similarities between plant and mammalian detoxification systems. The detoxification mechanism of glucuronization in mammals is mirrored by glucosidation of xenobiotics in plants. Furthermore, in both systems, a glutathione conjugate is formed. Due to the existence of P450 enzymes in plants, the formation of the highly reactive NAPQI intermediate is possible. Conclusions In this study, we introduce the hairy root cell culture of A. rusticana L. as a suitable model system to study the fate of acetaminophen in plant tissues. Our first results point to the direction of plants being able to take up and detoxify the model substrate paracetamol. These first findings underline the great potential of using plants for waste water treatments in constructed wetlands. Recommendations and perspectives This very first study on the detoxification of a widely used antipyretic agent in plant tissues again shows the flexibility of plant detoxification systems and their potential in waste water treatment facilities. This study covers only the very first steps of acetaminophen detoxification in plants; s...

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confidence: 99%

Metabolism of acetaminophen (paracetamol) in plants—two independent pathways result in the formation of a glutathione and a glucose conjugate

Huber¹,

Bartha²,

Harpaintner³

et al. 2009

Environ Sci Pollut Res

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121

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“…However, the exploitation of phytotechnologies in Europe is limited, as compared with USA (Van der Lelie et al 2001) and India (Prasad 2007). Recently, many pilot and field studies on real case of contamination have been approached with success in Italy (Di Gregorio et al 2013;Marchiol et al 2011) and all over the Europe (Mench et al 2010;Schröder et al 2007;Vangronsveld et al 2009). Results obtained encourage the establishment of the technology also in the EU.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phytoremediation for improving the quality of effluents from a conventional tannery wastewater treatment plant

Gregorio

Giorgetti

Castiglione

et al. 2014

Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol.

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In the present study, the quality of effluents from a conventional wastewater treatment plant in Italy has been analyzed. Residual level of contamination by 4-nnonylphenol, mono-and di-ethoxylated nonylphenols has been recorded in the effluents that resulted to be also phytotoxic and genotoxic. The possibility of exploiting phytoremediation as a sustainable tertiary treatment for the depletion of the priority pollutants and for the reduction in the residual toxicity has been verified at mesocosm scale. The phyto-based treatment has been performed by the exploitation of Phragmites australis by either a bacterialassisted and not assisted approach. In relation to the bacterial-assisted approach, two new bacterial strains, capable of using the nonylphenols as a sole carbon source, have been isolated. One was identified as a plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) belonging to the Stenotrophomonas species, and the second one was classified as a Sphingobium species strain. Both strains were independently bioaugmented in the P. australis rhizosphere. In relation to the not assisted approach, the phyto-based process determined 87, 70 and 87 % for 4-n-nonylphenol, mono-ethoxylated nonylphenols and di-ethoxylated nonylphenols, respectively. The toxicological assessment of the process evidenced the complete depletion of either the phytotoxicity or the genotoxicity of the treated effluents. With reference to the bacterial-assisted approach, the PGPR Stenotrophomonas species strain resulted to be capable of significantly increasing the efficiency of the phyto-based process in nonylphenol depletion up to 88 % for the 4-n-nonylphenol, 84 % for the mono-ethoxylated nonylphenol and 71 % for the di-ethoxylated nonylphenol.

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“…Phytoremediation is a common treatment method for runoff, ground water and municipal wastewater [8] or post-treatment of pretreated strength wastewater such as landfill leachate [9]. Phytoremediation of palm oil mill effluent is a new opportunity for decontamination of this highly polluted colloidal wastewater.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phytoremediation of suspended solids and turbidity of palm oil mill effluent (POME) by Ipomea aquatica

Farrajia¹,

Zamana²,

Sa’at³

et al. 2017

Eng. herit. j.

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Using phytoremediation technologies to upgrade waste water treatment in Europe

Abstract: Public acceptance of green technologies is generally higher than that of industrial processes. The EU should stimulate research to upgrade existing waste water treatment by implementing phytoremediation modules and demonstrating their reliability to the public.

Cited by 132 publications

References 42 publications

Metabolism of acetaminophen (paracetamol) in plants—two independent pathways result in the formation of a glutathione and a glucose conjugate

Metabolism of acetaminophen (paracetamol) in plants—two independent pathways result in the formation of a glutathione and a glucose conjugate

Phytoremediation for improving the quality of effluents from a conventional tannery wastewater treatment plant

Phytoremediation of suspended solids and turbidity of palm oil mill effluent (POME) by Ipomea aquatica

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