Triclocarban: UV photolysis, wastewater disinfection, and ecotoxicity assessment using molecular biomarkers

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international 2017-07, Vol.24 (19), p.16077-16085
• Main Authors: Satyro, Suéllen, Saggioro, Enrico Mendes, Veríssimo, Fábio, Buss, Daniel Forsin, de Paiva Magalhães, Danielly, Oliveira, Anabela
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Antiinfectives and antibacterials; Aquatic environment; Aquatic Pollution; Assaying; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Bacteria; Bioaccumulation; Bioassays; Biochemistry; Biomarkers; Carbanilides - chemistry; Carbanilides - toxicity; Catalase; Chemical wastewater; Consumer products; Contaminants; Disinfectants; Disinfection; Domestic wastewater; E coli; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental science; Glutathione; Glutathione transferase; Low concentrations; Oligochaeta; Oxidation; Oxidative stress; Photodegradation; Photolysis; Research Article; Sewer systems; Triclocarban; Ultraviolet radiation; Waste Water; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollutants, Chemical - chemistry; Water Pollutants, Chemical - toxicity; Water Pollution Control; Water treatment
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-017-9165-4

Triclocarban (TCC) is an antibacterial agent found in pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCP). It is potentially bioaccumulative and an endocrine disruptor, being classified as a contaminant of emerging concern (CEC). In normal uses, approximately 96% of the used TCC can be washed down the drain going into the sewer system and eventually enter in the aquatic environment. UV photolysis can be used to photodegrade TCC and ecotoxicity assays could indicate the photodegradation efficiency, since the enormous structural diversity of photoproducts and their low concentrations do not always allow to identify and quantify them. In this work, the TCC was efficiently degraded by UVC direct photolysis and the ecotoxicity of the UV-treated mixtures was investigated. Bioassays indicates that Daphnia similis (48 h EC 50  = 0.044 μM) was more sensitive to TCC than Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata (72 h IC 50  = 1.01 μM). TCC and its photoproducts caused significant effects on Eisenia andrei biochemical responses (catalase and glutathione-S-transferase); 48 h was a critical exposure time, since GST reached the highest activity values. UVC reduced the TCC toxic effect after 120 min. Furthermore, TCC was photodegraded in domestic wastewater which was simultaneously disinfected for total coliform bacterial (TCB) (360 min) and Escherichia coli (60 min). Graphical abstract TCC degradation and ecotoxicological assessment