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Updated: Jul 28, 2026

Large-Scale Cell Production Based on GMP-Grade Dissolvable Porous Microcarriers
Published on: July 7, 2023
Organomercurial removal from vaccine production wastewaters in a supported liquid membrane bioreactor
R Fortunato1, C A M Afonso, J G Crespo
1REQUIMTE/CQFB, Departamento de Química, FCT Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2829-114 Caparica, Portugal. raquel.fortunato@dq.fct.unl.pt
Abstract:
Vaccine production effluents are strongly polluted with thiomersal, a highly toxic organomercurial compound, for which there is presently no remediation technology available. This work describes a new remediation process based on the extraction of thiomersal from the wastewater to a biological compartment, where it is degraded by a microbial strain. The selective extraction of thiomersal is achieved by using an ionic liquid immobilized in a porous membrane. In the biological compartment, thiomersal is degraded to metallic mercury, under aerobic conditions, by a Pseudomonas putida strain. The utilization of ionic liquids in supported liquid membranes for thiomersal transport, and the kinetics of thiomersal biodegradation by a Pseudomonas putida strain are presented and discussed.
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