Oxidation of cefazolin by potassium permanganate: Transformation products and plausible pathways

Insight on the heterogeneously activated H2O2 with goethite under visible light for cefradine degradation: pH dependence and photoassisted effect

The iron mineral-catalyzed degradation of cephalosporin antibiotics with H₂O₂ occurs ubiquitously in nature. Despite numerous studies, the effects of environmental conditions on reactive species production and degradation processes of cephalosporins remain unclear. Here, we report the iron mineral of goethite as the efficient and heterogenous catalyst for the degradation of cefradine (CRD) via H₂O₂ activation under different conditions involving pH and visible light irradiation. Results show that the CRD removal rate is highly dependent on pH and visible light irradiation. Interestingly, when the pH ranges from 4.0 to 7.0, the degradation intermediates of CRD under dark are the same as under visible light conditions in the goethite/H₂O₂ system. And, the ratio of CRD degradation rate constant (k_Light/k_Dark) reaches a maximum at pH 5.0, suggesting that CRD existing as zwitterion species is preferable for its removal with photoassistance. The mechanism investigation reveals that both •OH and ≡[Fe^IVO]²⁺ oxidants are generated during the reaction process, and •OH is the major oxidant at acidic pH, while ≡[Fe^IVO]²⁺ is more likely to be formed with photoassistance at near-neutral pH. According to UPLC-MS/MS analysis, CRD degradation likely happens via hydrogen atom abstraction from cyclohexadienyl by •OH, thioether and olefin oxidation by ≡[Fe^IVO]²⁺, and Fe^III-catalyzed hydrolytic cleavage of β-lactam ring. These findings highlight the vital roles of pH and photoassistance in the heterogeneously activated H₂O₂ with goethite for CRD degradation.

Impact of Antibiotics as Waste, Physical, Chemical, and Enzymatical Degradation: Use of Laccases

The first traces of Tetracycline (TE) were detected in human skeletons from Sudan and Egypt, finding that it may be related to the diet of the time, the use of some dyes, and the use of soils loaded with microorganisms, such as Streptomyces spp., among other microorganisms capable of producing antibiotics. However, most people only recognise authors dating between 1904 and 1940, such as Ehrlich, Domagk, and Fleming. Antibiotics are the therapeutic option for countless infections treatment; unfortunately, they are the second most common group of drugs in wastewaters worldwide due to failures in industrial waste treatments (pharmaceutics, hospitals, senior residences) and their irrational use in humans and animals. The main antibiotics problem lies in delivered and non-prescribed human use, use in livestock as growth promoters, and crop cultivation as biocides (regulated activities that have not complied in some places). This practice has led to the toxicity of the environment as antibiotics generate eutrophication, water pollution, nutrient imbalance, and press antibiotic resistance. In addition, the removal of antibiotics is not a required process in global wastewater treatment standards. This review aims to raise awareness of the negative impact of antibiotics as residues and physical, chemical, and biological treatments for their degradation. We discuss the high cost of physical and chemical treatments, the risk of using chemicals that worsen the situation, and the fact that each antibiotic class can be transformed differently with each of these treatments and generate new compounds that could be more toxic than the original ones; also, we discuss the use of enzymes for antibiotic degradation, with emphasis on laccases.

Elimination from wastewater of antibiotics reserved for hospital settings, with a Fenton process based on zero-valent iron

The Fenton process activated by Zero Valent Iron (ZVI-Fenton) is shown here to effectively remove antibiotics reserved for hospital settings (specifically used to treat antibiotic-resistant infections) from wastewater, thereby helping in the fight against bacterial resistance. Effective degradation of cefazolin, imipenem and vancomycin in real urban wastewater was achieved at pH 5, which is quite near neutrality when compared with classic Fenton that works effectively at pH 3-4. The possibility to operate successfully at pH 5 has several advantages compared to operation at lower pH values: (i) lower reagent costs for pH adjustment; (ii) insignificant impact on wastewater conductivity, because lesser acid is required to acidify and lesser or no base for neutralization; (iii) undetectable release of dissolved Fe, which could otherwise be an issue for wastewater quality. The cost of reagents for the treatment ranges between 0.04 and 0.07 $ m^-3, which looks very suitable for practical applications. The structures of the degradation intermediates of the studied antibiotics and their likely abundance suggest that, once the primary compound is eliminated, most of the potential to trigger antibiotic action has been removed. Application of the ZVI-Fenton technique to wastewater treatment could considerably lower the possibility for antibiotics to trigger the development of resistance in bacteria.

l-Cysteine directing synthesis of BiOBr nanosheets for efficient cefazolin photodegradation: The pivotal role of thiol

Cefazolin (CFZ) is widely present in the wastewater treatment effluents and in receiving waters and has caused severe impacts to the ecosystem. CFZ degradation by photocatalysis has attracted increasing attention due to its eco-friendly features. Herein, we presented a green synthesis strategy for a highly active BiOBr photocatalyst for CFZ removal with L-cysteine as a directing agent, and the role of thiol in cysteine for facets control and morphology regulation was discussed. We found that the photoactivity of cysteine-induced BiOBr nanosheet was much higher than those prepared by using arginine and glycine as directing agent. Further experiments showed that the cysteine preferentially coordinated Bi³⁺ with thiol rather than carboxyl. The strong interactions of thiol group with the external surface of the BiOBr crystals stabilize the small crystals that have high surface energy without the cysteine. Such a chemical environment favors forming BiOBr crystalline with small size of high surface area and oriented growth in [110] direction, which facilitates the photogenerated electron-hole separation to achieve significantly promoted photocatalytic activity. Moreover, the cysteine-directed BiOBr nanosheets displayed good photoreactivity to more pollutants (i.e. rhodamine B, cefradine and cefoperazone sodium) and excellent reusability as verified via seven consecutive recycle experiments. The proper photocatalyst dosage (0.4 g/L), relatively acidic water environment (pH 3.4) and high temperature (35 °C) would be beneficial to CFZ photodegrdation by BiOBr. Also, the CFZ photodegradation mechanism and degradation pathway were also proposed by combining radical trapping experiments and electron spin resonance (ESR) test with LC-MS analysis in the photocatalytic process.

Effective removal of cefazolin from hospital wastewater by the electrocoagulation process

The present study evaluated the treatment of hospital wastewater by the electrocoagulation process using aluminum and iron electrodes. The effects of pH, voltage and reaction time on the removal efficiencies of the antibiotic cefazolin, chemical oxygen demand (COD) and turbidity were investigated. The results showed that by increasing reaction time and input voltage, the removal efficiency of pollutants was increased. The highest removal efficiency of cefazolin, COD, and turbidity occurred at neutral pH, which may have been related to the formation of aluminum hydroxide (Al(OH)₃) flocs through the combination of aluminum released from the surface of the electrode and the hydroxide ions present in the solution. The conductivity of the treated wastewater at neutral to alkaline pH decreased compared to acidic pH, which may have been due to the adsorption of anions and cations from the solution by the Al(OH)₃ flocs. The electrode and energy consumption in the present study was higher than in other studies, which may have been due to the high concentration of COD in and the turbidity of the solution.

Remediation of TCE-contaminated groundwater using KMnO4 oxidation: laboratory and field-scale studies

The objectives of this study were to (1) conduct laboratory bench and column experiments to determine the oxidation kinetics and optimal operational parameters for trichloroethene (TCE)-contaminated groundwater remediation using potassium permanganate (KMnO₄) as oxidant and (2) to conduct a pilot-scale study to assess the efficiency of TCE remediation by KMnO₄ oxidation. The controlling factors in laboratory studies included soil oxidant demand (SOD), molar ratios of KMnO₄ to TCE, KMnO₄ decay rate, and molar ratios of Na₂HPO₄ to KMnO₄ for manganese dioxide (MnO₂) production control. Results show that a significant amount of KMnO₄ was depleted when it was added in a soil/water system due to the existence of natural soil organic matters. The presence of natural organic material in soils can exert a significant oxidant demand thereby reducing the amount of KMnO₄ available for the destruction of TCE as well as the overall oxidation rate of TCE. Supplement of higher concentrations of KMnO₄ is required in the soil systems with high SOD values. Higher KMnO₄ application resulted in more significant H⁺ and subsequent pH drop. The addition of Na₂HPO₄ could minimize the amount of produced MnO₂ particles and prevent the clogging of soil pores, and TCE oxidation efficiency would not be affected by Na₂HPO₄. To obtain a complete TCE removal, the amount of KMnO₄ used to oxidize TCE needs to be higher than the theoretical molar ratio of KMnO₄ to TCE based on the stoichiometry equation. Relatively lower oxidation rates are obtained with lower initial TCE concentrations. The half-life of TCE decreased with increased KMnO₄ concentrations. Results from the pilot-scale study indicate that a significant KMnO₄ decay occurs after the injection due to the reaction of KMnO₄ with soil organic matters, and thus, the amount of KMnO₄, which could be transported from the injection point to the downgradient area, would be low. The effective influence zone of the KMnO₄ oxidation was limited to the KMnO₄ injection area (within a 3-m radius zone). Migration of KMnO₄ to farther downgradient area was limited due to the reaction of KMnO₄ to natural organic matters. To retain a higher TCE removal efficiency, continuous supplement of high concentrations of KMnO₄ is required. The findings would be useful in designing an in situ field-scale ISCO system for TCE-contaminated groundwater remediation using KMnO₄ as the oxidant.

Cephalosporin antibiotics in the aquatic environment: A critical review of occurrence, fate, ecotoxicity and removal technologies

Due to their widespread occurrence in the aquatic environment, human and veterinary cephalosporin antibiotics have been studied as water pollutants. In order to characterize environmental risks of this compound class, this review evaluates relevant data about physicochemical properties, occurrence, ecotoxicity and degradation of cephalosporins. Although application of cephalosporins is rather low compared to other antibiotics and their environmental life-time is believed to be short (i.e. days), the available data is insufficient to draw conclusions on their environmental relevance. Few studies concerning the fate of cephalosporins in soil are available, while hydrolysis and photo-degradation are suggested as the main attenuation processes in the aquatic environment. Cephalosporins have been detected in different aqueous matrices in concentrations ranging from 0.30 ng L^-1 to 0.03 mg L^-1, with sewage and wastewater being the main matrices with positive findings. For wastewater treatment purposes, several technologies have been tested for the abatement of cephalosporins, including photolysis and adsorption. In most cases, the technology employed led to complete or significant removal (>95%) of parental drugs but few authors reported on cephalosporins' metabolites and transformation products. Furthermore, the present ecotoxicological data are insufficient for comprehensive ecological risk quotient calculations. Considering the total of 53 cephalosporins, effective values (EC, LC, NOAEC, NOAEL, etc.) are only available for around 30% of parental drugs and are very scarce for cyanobacteria, which is considered to be the most sensitive group of organisms to antibiotics. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that cephalosporins' transformation products can be more toxic and more persistent than the parental drugs. Few investigations considering this possibility are available. Consequently, more effort on ecotoxicological data generation and verification of biological inactivation of cephalosporins-related products is needed. Likewise, the lack of natural depletion rates and knowledge gaps on mixture effects for cephalosporins' degradation and toxicity have to be overcome.

Substructure Reactivity Affecting the Manganese Dioxide Oxidation of Cephalosporins

Cefotaxime (CTX), cephalexin (CFX), cephradine (CFD), cephapirin (CFP), and cefazolin (CFZ) were selected as target cephalosporin antibiotics to study their oxidative transformation by δ-MnO₂. Although they all have the same core structure (7-aminodesacetoxycephalosporanic acid), very different MnO₂ oxidation rates were observed at pH 4 (the initial reaction rate constant k_init ranged from 0.014 to 2.6 h^-1). An extensive investigation of the substructure compounds and byproduct analysis revealed that the oxidation mainly occurred at the following two sites on the core structure: (1) the sulfur atom in the cephem ring and (2) the carbon-carbon double bond (C═C) and its proximal carboxylic acid group. In the case of (2), when there is an acetyloxymethyl group at the C-3 position of the core structure, the formation of the keto-sulfone byproducts was inhibited. The overall results indicated that a substituent at the C-3 position could stabilize the core structure, which would result in a decrease in the oxidation rate; however, a substituent at the amine position of the core structure might affect the overall degradation rate of the cephalosporin, depending on its reactivity with MnO₂. Thus, the apparent reaction rates varied widely in the trend of CTX > CFP > CFD > core structure ≈ CFX > CFZ. The mechanistic elucidation can also help explain the degradation rates of cephalosporin antibiotics in other oxidation processes.

Oxidation of Cefalexin by Permanganate: Reaction Kinetics, Mechanism, and Residual Antibacterial Activity

The oxidation of cefalexin (CFX), a commonly used cephalosporin antibiotic, was investigated by permanganate (PM) in water. Apparent second-order rate constant of the reaction between CFX and PM was determined to be 12.71 ± (1.62) M^-1·s^-1 at neutral pH. Lower pH was favorable for the oxidation of CFX by PM. The presence of Cl^- and HCO₃^- could enhance PM-induced oxidation of CFX, whereas HA had negligible effect on CFX oxidation by PM. PM-induced oxidation of CFX was also significant in the real wastewater matrix. After addition of bisulfite (BS), PM-induced oxidation was significantly accelerated owing to the generation of Mn(III) reactive species. Product analysis indicated oxidation of CFX to three products, with two stereoisomeric sulfoxide products and one di-ketone product. The thioether sulfur and double bond on the six-membered ring were the reactive sites towards PM oxidation. Antibacterial activity assessment indicated that the activity of CFX solution was significantly reduced after PM oxidation.

Role of oxalate in permanganate oxidation of 4-chlorophenol

The role of oxalate in 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) oxidation by permanganate (Mn(VII)) was explored in this study. The performance of oxalate was heavily depended on pH and oxalate concentration. 4-CP degradation by Mn(VII) was significantly enhanced at pH 4.0-6.0 in the presence of oxalate, while negligible influence was observed at pH 7.0-9.0. The oxalate plays a dual role in Mn(VII) oxidation over the pH range of 4.0-6.0: one is the chelate, which coordinates with Mn(III) to form Mn(III)-oxalate complexes, and the other is the reductant, which reacts with Mn(III) to form Mn(II). The stable Mn(III)-oxalate complexes can work as an efficient oxidant for 4-CP. While their unstable counterparts, due to the lower concentration of oxalate or the higher pH, would auto-decomposed to MnO₂ and Mn(II), and then the MnO₂ works as both a catalyst and an oxidant for the decomposition of 4-CP.

Oxidative removal of quinclorac by permanganate through a rate-limiting [3 + 2] cycloaddition reaction

Quinclorac, a widely used herbicide in agriculture, has been recognized as an emerging environmental pollutant owing to its long persistence and potential risk to humans. However, no related information is available on the degradation of quinclorac by employing oxidants. Herein, the reactivity of quinclorac with permanganate was systematically investigated in water by combining experimental and computational approaches. The reaction followed overall second-order kinetics pointing to a bimolecular rate-limiting step. The second-order rate constant was found to be 3.47 × 10-3 M-1 s-1 at 25 °C, which was independent of pH over the range from 5 to 9 and was dependent on temperature over the range from 19 to 35 °C. The initial product was identified by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS to be mono-hydroxylated quinclorac, which was more susceptible to further oxidation. The result could be supported by the complete simulation of the reaction process in DFT calculations, indicating the [3 + 2] cycloaddition oxidation of the benzene ring in the rate-limiting step. The plausible mechanism was then proposed, accompanied by the analysis of the HOMO indicating the hydroxylation position and of the ESP suggesting a more electron-rich moiety. Considering the high effectiveness and low toxicity, permanganate oxidation was considered to be a very promising technique for removing quinclorac from aquatic environments.

Selective Transformation of β-Lactam Antibiotics by Peroxymonosulfate: Reaction Kinetics and Nonradical Mechanism

While the β-lactam antibiotics are known to be susceptible to oxidative degradation by sulfate radical (SO₄^•-), here we report that peroxymonosulfate (PMS) exhibits specific high reactivity toward β-lactam antibiotics without SO₄^•- generation for the first time. Apparent second-order reaction constants (k_2,app) were determined for the reaction of PMS with three penicillins, five cephalosporins, two carbapenems, and several structurally related chemicals. The pH-dependency of k_2,app could be well modeled based on species-specific reactions. On the basis of reaction kinetics, stoichiometry, and structure-activity assessment, the thioether sulfur, on the six- or five-membered rings (penicillins and cephalosporins) and the side chain (carbapenems), was the main reaction site for PMS oxidation. Cephalosporins were more reactive toward PMS than penicillins and carbapenems, and the presence of a phenylglycine side chain significantly enhanced cephalosporins' reactivity toward PMS. Product analysis indicated oxidation of β-lactam antibiotics to two stereoisomeric sulfoxides. A radical scavenging study and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) technique confirmed lack of involvement of radical species (e.g., SO₄^•-). Thus, the PMS-induced oxidation of β-lactam antibiotics was proposed to proceed through a nonradical mechanism involving direct two-electron transfer along with the heterolytic cleavage of the PMS peroxide bond. The new findings of this study are important for elimination of β-lactam antibiotic contamination, because PMS exhibits specific high reactivity and suffers less interference from the water matrix than the radical process.