Ecotoxicological assessment of metformin as an antidiabetic water residue treated by electron beam accelerator irradiation

• Published in: Discover water 2024-02, Vol.4 (1), p.5-13, Article 5
• Main Authors: Tominaga, Flávio Kiyoshi, de Jesus, Juliana Mendonça Silva, Klanovicz, Natalia, Redígolo, Marcelo Miyada, Silva, Thalita Tieko, Lebre, Daniel Temponi, Teixeira, Antonio Carlos Silva Costa, Leo, Patricia, Borrely, Sueli Ivone
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antidiabetics; Aquatic Pollution; Bioluminescence; Coastal Sciences; Diabetes; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Ecotoxicity; Electron beam irradiation; Experiments; Hydrogeology; Marine & Freshwater Sciences; Metformin; Mineralization; Oceanography; Oxidation; Pharmaceuticals; Pollutants; Pollution; Radiation; Toxicity; Variance analysis; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Water treatment
• ISSN: 2730-647X; 2730-647X
• DOI: 10.1007/s43832-023-00053-x

Metformin (MET), an antidiabetic compound, has received increasing attention, as it cannot be effectively removed during conventional wastewater treatment processes and may act as an endocrine disruptor. Electron beam irradiation (EBI) is an eco-friendly process able to degrade and neutralize biohazardous pollution almost instantly. In this context, this study applied EBI to MET degradation and detoxification in aqueous solutions. A 98% MET degradation rate and TOC removal of 19.04 ± 1.20% at a 1.0 kGy EBI dose was obtained, with up to 65% mineralization reached at 5.0 kGy. Toxicity assays were performed with Vibrio fischeri , Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Daphnia similis , and the findings indicate that generated byproducts were only more toxic to D. similis . This reveals the need to assess organisms belonging to different trophic levels. A cytotoxic assessment employing Allium cepa roots demonstrated no toxic effects concerning untreated and irradiated samples.