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. 2023 Aug 25;13(1):13911.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-41144-y.

An investigation on removal of ciprofloxacin and norfloxacin by phycoremediation with an emphasis on acute toxicity and biochemical composition

R Ricky  1 , S Shanthakumar  2
Affiliations

An investigation on removal of ciprofloxacin and norfloxacin by phycoremediation with an emphasis on acute toxicity and biochemical composition

R Ricky et al. Sci Rep. .

Abstract

Ciprofloxacin (CIP) and norfloxacin (NOR) belong to the class of emerging contaminants that are frequently detected in the aquatic environment as a binary mixture, responsible for the development of antibiotic-resistant genes and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This study aims to investigate five different algal species Chlorella vulgaris (Cv), Chlorella pyrenoidosa (Cp), Scenedesmus obliquus (So), Tetradesmus sp (T) and Monoraphidium sp (M) for their tolerance and removal of binary mixture. The effects on biochemical composition in the algal species concerning the binary mixture and its removal efficiency are first reported in this study. The acute toxicity (96 h EC50) values are in the order of So > Cp > T > M > Cv, Chlorella vulgaris is the most sensitive algal species with 17.73 ± 0.24 mg/L and Scenedesmus obliquus is the least sensitive algal species with 39.19 ± 0.79 mg/L. The removal efficiency of the binary mixture was found to be in the order of So > Cp > T > M > Cv, Scenedesmus obliquus removed CIP (52.4%) and NOR (87.5%) with biodegradation as the major contributing removal mechanism. Furthermore, less toxic biotransformed products were detected in Scenedesmus obliquus and the biochemical characterization revealed that the growth-stimulating effect is higher with lipid (35%), carbohydrate (18%), and protein (33%) providing an advantage in the production of valuable biomass.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Methodology followed in this study.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Dose—Growth inhibition (%) response curve for (a) CIP, (b) NOR, (c) CIP+NOR for algal species.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Effect of the binary mixture (CIP+NOR) on chl-a, chl-b, and carotenoids for (a) Cv, (b) Cp, (c) So, (d) T, and (e) M.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Effect of the binary mixture (CIP+NOR) on protein, lipids, and carbohydrates for (a) Cv, (b) Cp, (c) So, (d) T, and (e) M.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Experimentation for the removal of CIP+NOR.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Effect of the binary mixture (CIP+NOR) on cell density and chl-a for (a) Cv, (b) Cp, (c) So, (d) T, and (e) M.
Figure 7
Figure 7
HPLC overlay detection peaks of binary composition (CIP+NOR) for (a) Cv, (b) Cp, (c) So, (d) T, (e) M, and (f) Abiotic removal.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Possible biotransformation pathway of CIP+NOR in Scenedesmus obliquus.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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