Sustainable degradation of pharmaceutical waste using different fungal strains: Enzyme induction, kinetics and isotherm studies

The global use of pharmaceuticals to combat diseases and ill-health has been increased in significant amount from the last few decades. The extensive use and misuse of the medications has adverse repercussions on wildlife and ecosystems, when disposed of inappropriately. To address this issue, the biological degradation of diclofenac up to 93%, 91%, and 90% was achieved by using two different fungal strains of wood rotting fungi namely, Bjerkandera adusta, and Fomitopsis meliae respectively. The degradation behavior in the vicinity of different parameters like pH, biomass, concentration and temperature was investigated. Biodegradation of diclofenac sodium (DCF) into various intermediates was identified and elucidated by using FTIR, LCMS, SEM and EDS. Systematic isotherm and kinetic studies were also performed to scrutinize the adsorption phenomenon of DCF onto fugal biomass. Furthermore, the toxicity assays performed on the Triticum aestivum, P. aeruginosa and S. aureus reflects the remarkable detoxification potential of the selected test fungal strains. The findings of the study suggest that fungal biomass can significantly reduce the toxicological impacts of pharmaceutical waste on the environment. (C) 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.