Co-metabolic oxidation of pharmaceutical compounds by a nitrifying bacterial enrichment

The biotransformation of five selected pharmaceuticals ibuprofen (IBP), ketoprofen (KTP), carbamazepine (CBZ), dexamethasone (DXM) and iopromide (IOP) by a stable nitrifying enrichment culture was investigated at concentrations ranging between 25 μg/L and 2 mg/L. Complete biotransformation was observed only for IBP and KTP, although, an inverse correlation between transformation rate and concentration was found. The transformation pattern observed is consistent with ammonia monooxygenase (AMO) activity. The metabolic succession of the compounds according to the biotransformation rates was: IBP > KTP > DXM > CBZ > IOP. A linear correlation between the calculated diffusive flux of the model compounds across a bilayer membrane and their biotransformation rates was found. Our results support the concept that augmentation with nitrifying activity can enhance the removal of trace organic pollutants during effluent treatment. Furthermore, ammonia-oxidizing activity appears as a good indicator for estimation of potential of biodegradability of pharmaceuticals, especially at low concentrations.