Microbial remediation of ibuprofen contaminated water using novel isolate Microbacterium paraoxydans

Ibuprofen (IBP), a commonly recommended nonsteroidal, antipyretic, analgesic and anti-inflammatory drug, is a widespread ecological contaminant with harmful consequences. This issue has necessitated the development of a comprehensive scientific strategy for the removal of drugs as well as their by-products from the environment. Biodegradation is a method for breaking down complex chemicals into simpler forms that is both eco-friendly and effective. The current research studies the biodegradation of IBP by isolating a promising bacterial strain isolated from a pharmaceutical industrial wastewater. Microbacterium paraoxydans (Genbank accession numbers: Forward OL614700 and Reverse OL614701) was identified as the bacterium strain by 16S rRNA sequencing. Enhancement of IBP biodegradation efficiency was attained by optimization of parameters using central composite design (CCD). Due to their critical impact on IBP degradation, five parameters were selected for optimization: pH, yeast extract, temperature, inoculum dose, incubation time, and agitation speed. The other two parameters, concentration and time, were kept unchanged. At ideal conditions of pH 7, inoculum dose OD 600 , agitation speed of 150 rpm, 30 °C temperature, and 0.3% yeast extract, the target drug concentration was reduced by 92.01%. The results suggest that Microbacterium paraoxydans could be an efficient microbe for degrading pharmaceutical wastewater and reducing harmful environmental effects.