Evaluation of the efficiency of Trametes hirsuta for the removal of multiple pharmaceutical compounds under low concentrations relevant to the environment

• The removal of 17 PhACs compounds by Trametes hirsuta was evaluated.
• The activity of extracellular enzymes was monitored.
• Trametes hirsuta is able to remove multi-class PhACs at low concentration.
• The PhACs concentration plays a major role on removal efficiency.
• Biosorption plays a key role in removal of several PhACs.

An evaluation of the efficiency of the White-rot fungi (WRF) Trametes hirsuta to remove multi-classes pharmaceutical active compounds (17 PhACs) at low and environmentally realistic concentrations (20–500 ng L−1) was performed. The importance of biosorption over enzymatic activity on PhACs removal was also evaluated. Results highlight the importance to consider environmentally relevant PhACs concentrations while evaluating the removal capacities of WRF in wastewaters treatment processes, as PhACs concentration strongly influence both the enzymatic activity profile and the removal efficiency. Results also show that under tested experimental conditions, laccase was the only active extracellular lignin modifying enzyme and that biosorption and possibly intracellular enzymes also contribute to the removal of some PhACs.

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