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Biochar filtration of drug-resistant bacteria and active pharmaceutical ingredients to combat antimicrobial

Paul-Enguerrand Fady1,2, Alexandra K Richardson3,4, Leon P Barron3,4

  • 1Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, 150 Stamford Street, London, SE1 9NH, UK.

Scientific Reports
|January 8, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Waste biomass converted to biochar effectively removes harmful bacteria and antibiotics from the environment. This innovative approach tackles antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and pollution, offering a sustainable solution to a global health crisis.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Science
  • Biotechnology
  • Materials Science

Background:

  • Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a critical global health threat, causing millions of deaths annually.
  • Environmental contamination with multidrug-resistant bacteria and pharmaceutical pollutants exacerbates AMR.
  • Addressing AMR requires innovative solutions that consider pollution, biodiversity loss, and climate change.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the potential of waste lignocellulosic biomass (LCB)-derived biochars for mitigating environmental AMR.
  • To establish correlations between biochar production conditions and their efficacy in adsorbing bacterial pathogens and pharmaceutical pollutants.
  • To explore the use of precisely controlled pyrolysis parameters for optimizing biochar properties.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a bespoke pyrolysis reactor with controlled parameters to convert waste LCB into biochars.
  • Assessed the efficacy of biochars in sequestering clinical bacterial isolates, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus.
  • Quantified the removal of the antibiotic clarithromycin and other active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) from wastewater using biochars produced at different temperatures.

Main Results:

  • Biochar production conditions significantly influenced the sequestration of bacterial pathogens.
  • Up to 94% removal of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and 85% of Staphylococcus aureus were achieved.
  • Biochars produced at 450°C effectively removed up to 88% of clarithromycin and other APIs from wastewater.

Conclusions:

  • Tailoring biochar production conditions is crucial for effective environmental AMR mitigation.
  • Waste LCB-derived biochars show significant potential as adsorbents for bacterial pathogens and APIs.
  • This study offers novel insights into optimizing biochar properties for environmental remediation and addressing the AMR crisis.
Keywords:
AdsorptionHuman pathogensMorphologyPharmapollutionPyrolysisWastewater treatment

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