Isolation of Novel Bacterial Strains Pseudomonas extremaustralis CSW01 and Stutzerimonas stutzeri CSW02 from Sewage Sludge for Paracetamol Biodegradation

Abstract

Paracetamol is one of the most used pharmaceuticals worldwide, but due to its widespread use it is detected in various environmental matrices, such as surface and ground waters, sediments, soils or even plants, where it is introduced mainly from the discharge of wastewater and the use of sewage sludge as fertilizer in agriculture. Its accumulation in certain organisms can induce reproductive, neurotoxic or endocrine disorders, being therefore considered an emerging pollutant. This study reports on the isolation, from sewage sludge produced in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), of bacterial strains capable of degrading paracetamol. Up to 17 bacterial strains were isolated, but only two of them, identified as Pseudomonas stutzeri CSW02 and Pseudomonas extremaustralis CSW01, were able to degrade very high concentrations of paracetamol in solution as a sole carbon and energy source, and none of them had been previously described as paracetamol degraders. These bacteria showed the ability to degrade up to 500 mg L−1 of paracetamol in only 6 and 4 h, respectively, much quicker than any other paracetamol-degrader strain described in the literature. The two main paracetamol metabolites, 4-aminophenol and hydroquinone, which present high toxicity, were detected during the degradation process, although they disappeared very quickly for paracetamol concentrations up to 500 mg L−1. The IC50 of paracetamol for the growth of these two isolates was also calculated, indicating that P. extremaustralis CSW01 was more tolerant than S. stutzeri CSW02 to high concentrations of paracetamol and/or its metabolites in solution, and this is the reason for the much lower paracetamol degradation by S. stutzeri CSW02 at 2000–3000 mg L−1. These findings indicate that both bacteria are very promising candidates for their use in paracetamol bioremediation in water and sewage sludge.

Isolation and Characterization of Indigenous Ureolytic Bacteria from Mindanao, Philippines: Prospects for Microbially Induced Carbonate Precipitation (MICP)

“…Similarly, Bacillus altitudinis has been reported to generate carbonate minerals in mangroves and manganese-contaminated environments [48,49]. In contrast, this is only the second report in the literature on the urease-producing ability of Bacillus aryabhattai and its suitability for MICP [50]. One bacterial isolate was identified as Stutzerimonas stutzeri (S1S19) belonging to the genus Stutzerimonas, a recently defined genus that was previously classified as part of the genus Pseudomonas [51].…”

The Mass Spectrometry Identification, Antimicrobial Genes Detection, and Proteomics Analysis of Stutzerimonas stutzeri Strain Was Isolated from Industrial Wastewater

“…Paracetamol in the environment can cause genotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, endocrine interference, and other negative effects on organisms. A study found the Pseudomonas stutzeri and Pseudomonas extremaustralis were able to degrade very high concentrations of paracetamol in solution as a sole carbon and energy source [13]. Phylogenetic analysis based on the phylogeny of the core genome of the Pseudomonadaceae family and several indices based on shared genes of members of new genera, as well as their phenotypic characteristics, including denitrification characteristics and lack of arginine dihydrogenase activity, support the proposal of the genera.…”

“…In recent years, an MDR plasmid co-harboring the carbapenem resistance gene bla (VIM-2) and tigecycline resistance gene cluster tmexCD1-toprJ1 was identified in a Pseudomonas stutzeri isolate [11,12]. A Stutzerimonas stutzeri strain isolated from sewage sludge produced in wastewater treatment plants could degrade very high paracetamol concentrations in solutions wherein paracetamol was the sole carbon and energy source, and none of the Stutzerimonas stutzeri strains were previously described as paracetamol degraders [13]. Pseudomonas stutzeri, which can inhibit corrosion by sulfate-reducing bacteria, was isolated from the soil in an enrichment culture [14,15].…”

Diclofenac, ibuprofen, and paracetamol biodegradation: overconsumed non-steroidal anti-inflammatories drugs at COVID-19 pandemic

“…For instance, 17 bacterial strains were isolated from the sewage of a Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) in Seville (Spain), but only two of them ( Pseudomonas stutzeri CSW02 and Pseudomonas extremoustralis CSW01) biodegraded high concentrations of PAR as sole carbon and energy source. The process reached 100% degradation at 500 mg L −1 PAR, 150 rpm, and 30°C for 6 h, showing the high efficiency of these strains ( Table 2 , entry 33 and 34, respectively; Vargas-Ordóñez et al, 2023 ).…”

“…Due to its large-scale use, this drug can be found in different environments, especially in water bodies. Regarding this, it is noteworthy that PAR is bioaccumulative in aquatic organisms and may induce reproductive and neurotoxic disorders ( Vargas-Ordóñez et al, 2023 ). Therefore, this compound was considered an emerging pollutant that requires environmentally safe strategies for its removal.…”