Paracetamol biodegradation by Pseudomonas strain PrS10 isolated from pharmaceutical effluents

The production and consumption of paracetamol (4-acetaminophen), a common analgesic and antipyretic drug, had been increased substantially in recent years, elevating the risk of environmental exposure. As an emerging pollutant, this may affect different trophic levels irreversibly and persistently. In this current study, multiple bacterial strains were isolated from pharmaceutical industrial effluents based on paracetamol resistance and primarily screened by non-virulence. Strains PrS3 and PrS14 showed maximum bacterial growth using paracetamol as the sole carbon and nitrogen source. On the contrary, the highest %organic carbon removal efficiency was exhibited by PrS10. The isolates were identified as non-identical and related to the Pseudomonas genus by partial 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The spectrometric assay indicated PrS10 with the highest paracetamol degradation potential (96.37% removal in 7 days), whereas the GC-MS study confirmed 92.35% paracetamol degradation efficiency. The influence of different carbohydrates on paracetamol degradation indicated a competition between monosaccharide and paracetamol as an energy source for PrS10 and reduced degradation efficiency. Further, HR-MS analysis indicated both cell surface absorption as well as the internalization of paracetamol by PrS10. This study explored a probable biodegradation and bioremediation technique for paracetamol contaminants which could be integrated with the effluent treatment of paracetamol production.