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Understanding Azole Removal: Contribution of Biodegradation and Bioadsorption
Julia Płatkiewicz1, Robert Frankowski2, Tomasz Grześkowiak2
1Institute of Chemistry and Technical Electrochemistry, Poznan University of Technology, Berdychowo 4, Poznań, 60-965, Poland. julia.platkiewicz@doctorate.put.poznan.pl.
Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology
|May 22, 2026
Summary
Conventional wastewater treatment struggles to remove azole antifungals. Biodegradation and sorption are key removal mechanisms, but complete elimination is limited, posing ecological risks from residual compounds and their toxic byproducts.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Environmental Chemistry
- Microbiology
Background:
- Conventional wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) show limited efficacy in removing emerging contaminants.
- Azole antifungals are widely used and detected in aquatic environments.
- Understanding their removal in WWTPs is crucial for environmental protection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the biodegradation and sorption of nine azole antifungals using activated sludge.
- To assess the removal efficiency and identify removal mechanisms for different azoles.
- To evaluate the potential ecological risks associated with azole residues and transformation products.
Main Methods:
- Batch experiments using activated sludge from two WWTPs.
- Monitoring of azole degradation over time.
- Sorption studies to quantify bioadsorption.
- Analysis of transformation products and their toxicity.
Main Results:
- Nearly complete degradation of ketoconazole and climbazole observed.
- Variable removal efficiencies for clotrimazole and epoxiconazole across different sludges.
- Moderate removal for tebuconazole, flutriafol, and tiabendazole; low removal for imazalil and fluconazole.
- Sorption significantly contributed to the removal of tiabendazole and clotrimazole.
- Formation of bioactive azole metabolites with similar or slightly lower toxicity.
Conclusions:
- Biodegradation and sorption are important but insufficient for complete azole removal in conventional WWTPs.
- Residual azoles and their transformation products may pose ecological risks.
- Further research on advanced treatment methods is needed to effectively remove these contaminants.
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