Cometabolic removal of ibuprofen, diclofenac and ciprofloxacin driven by glycerol fermentation in an acidogenic biofilm reactor

The presence of pharmaceuticals in wastewater has increasingly become a public health issue globally due to the potential impacts it can cause on the environment and public health. In this study, we sought to analyze the cometabolic effect of glycerol fermentation on the removal of ibuprofen (IBU), diclofenac (DCF), and ciprofloxacin (CIP). The results indicated a positive effect of the glycerol addition on the removal of these compounds: without GOH – 65%, 35%, and 25%; with GOH – 91%, 48%, and 45%, respectively for IBU, DCF and CIP. A significant increase in the production of volatile fatty acids, especially propionate and valerate, was observed during the glycerol fermentation, which may have favored the prevalence of fermentative bacteria, as well as the production of specific microbial enzymes active in the biotransformation of the microcontaminants. Glycerol proved to be a good alternative supplementation in wastewater treatment systems to optimize the pharmaceutical compounds removal, in addition to the fact that it is a by-product of the biodiesel production with high availability on the market in many parts of the world.