Removal of sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim from reclaimed water and the biodegradation mechanism

Abstract

The artificial composite soil treatment system could efficiently remove SMX and TMP by biodegradation mechanism.

Bacillus subtilis from column reactors degraded SMX and TMP efficiently.

Bacillus subtilis biodegrades TMP to NH₄⁺, and then converts NH₄⁺ to NO₃^–.

Sulfamethoxazole (SMX) and trimethoprim (TMP) are two critical sulfonamide antibiotics with enhanced persistency that are commonly found in wastewater treatment plants. Recently, more scholars have showed interests in how SMX and TMP antibiotics are biodegraded, which is seldom reported previously. Novel artificial composite soil treatment systems were designed to allow biodegradation to effectively remove adsorbed SMX and TMP from the surface of clay ceramsites. A synergy between sorption and biodegradation improves the removal of SMX and TMP. One highly efficient SMX and TMP degrading bacteria strain, Bacillus subtilis, was isolated from column reactors. In the removal process, this bacteria degrade SMX and TMP to NH₄⁺, and then further convert NH₄⁺ to NO₃^– in a continuous process. Microbial adaptation time was longer for SMX degradation than for TMP, and SMX was also able to be degraded in aerobic conditions. Importantly, the artificial composite soil treatment system is suitable for application in practical engineering.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Trimethoprim / Sulfamethoxazole / Biodegradation / Aerobic nitrification

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