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Photocatalytic and biodegradation treatments of paracetamol: investigation of the in vivo toxicity

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Abstract

Medicines and drugs consumption by all populations of the world can be expected to result in the contamination of the environment since 30–90% of residual drugs will be found into wastewaters. In this study, we investigate the degradation of acetaminophen, selected as a xenobiotic model molecule, via two separate procedures, the TiO2 impregnated on cellulosic paper photocatalysis, and specific bacterial biodegradation process. Results showed that for initial drug content of 400 mg/L and after 5 hours of processing, around 85% of paracetamol was photocatalytically degraded. The use of Pseudomonas putida E1.21 isolate allowed an abatement of around 92% after 32 h of processing. The acetaminophen toxicity conducted in vivo on laboratory mice showed a net decrease of the creatinine release and enzymes activities like ALP, ALT, AST, and LDH decreased significantly (p < 0.05) when mice were treated distinctly by acetaminophen treated with UV/TiO2 and the Pseudomonas putida E1.21 strain compared with the control experiments. CAT, MDA, and AchE serum level disruption measurement indicated a serious affection of the mice antioxidant system. These results were found to be in correlation with the ones of the histological analysis of the liver and kidney.

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Funding

Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in Tunisia

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Unit of Analysis and Process Applied on the Environment-APAE UR17ES32, Higher Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology Mahdia (ISSAT), University of Monastir, 5100, Mahdia, Tunisia

    Ikram Rouibah, Wafa Hassen, Ons Fekih Sallem & Hedi Ben Mansour

  2. Department of Process Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Badji Mokhtar University, P.O. Box 12, 23000, Annaba, Algeria

    Ikram Rouibah & Nabila Khellaf

  3. Laboratory of Treatment and Wastewater Valorization, Centre of Research and Water Technologies (CERTE), Techno Park of Borj-Cedria, 8020, Tunis, Tunisia

    Abdennaceur Hassen

Authors
  1. Ikram Rouibah
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  2. Wafa Hassen
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  3. Ons Fekih Sallem
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  4. Nabila Khellaf
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  5. Abdennaceur Hassen
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  6. Hedi Ben Mansour
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Contributions

All authors contribute to this work:

Ikram Rouibah: photocatalytic degradation of paracetamol and the acetaminophen toxicity

Wafa Hassen: biodegradation of paracetamol

Ons Fekih Sallem: intoxication of mice by paracetamol

Nabila Khellaf: HPLC analysis

Abdennaceur Hassen: isolation and characterization of bacteria

Hedi Ben Mansour: the acetaminophen toxicity

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hedi Ben Mansour.

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Rouibah, I., Hassen, W., Sallem, O.F. et al. Photocatalytic and biodegradation treatments of paracetamol: investigation of the in vivo toxicity. Environ Sci Pollut Res 28, 14530–14545 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-11615-0

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