Microbial Remediation of Pharmaceutical Contaminants

The presence of pharmaceutical contaminants in wastewater, such as antibiotics, analgesics (e.g., ibuprofen, acetaminophen), anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g., diclofenac), and hormones (e.g., estrogen, ethinylestradiol), has become a significant environmental concern, posing risks to aquatic ecosystems and human health. Traditional wastewater treatment methods often fail to fully remove these contaminants, leading to their accumulation in natural water bodies. Recent studies have shown that certain microbial consortia have the potential to degrade these pollutants by utilizing them as energy sources, thus converting harmful compounds into less toxic forms. However, the mechanisms and efficiency of these biodegradation processes are not fully understood and require detailed investigation.This Research Topic aims to explore the capabilities of microbial consortia in degrading such pharmaceutical contaminants. Our objectives include identifying the specific metabolic pathways used by the microbes, optimizing the conditions that enhance their degradation efficiency, and understanding how these processes can be integrated into existing wastewater treatment systems.We welcome Original Research, Reviews, Methods and Perspective articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:• Genetic and enzymatic mechanisms involved in microbial biodegradation;• Optimization techniques for microbial consortia in wastewater treatment systems;• Impact of pharmaceutical contaminants on microbial community structure and function;• Scale-up strategies and real-world applications of microbial remediation systems.Please note that Microbiotechnology does not consider descriptive studies that are solely based on amplicon (e.g., 16S rRNA) profiles or comparisons of nucleic acid extracts (e.g., metagenomics), unless they are accompanied by a clear hypothesis and experimentation and provide insight into the microbiological system or process being studied. Topic editors: Mariusz Cycoń, Maria Fátima Carvalho, Gabriela Briceño Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/71242/microbial-remediation-of-pharmaceutical-contaminants