Biodegradation of Carbamazepine by Klebsiella pneumoniae Isolated from the Sludge of Wastewater Treatment Plant

Abstract

Carbamazepine is a drug detected in wastewater, rivers and drinking water at trace concentrations and has adverse effects on humans and the environment. However, a recent study shows that physical and chemical treatments are expensive due to harmful end product generation that requires proper disposal compared to biological treatment, which is low cost and environmental friendly. This study utilised Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated from the sludge of wastewater treatment plant as bacteria to degrade the carbamazepine. The purpose of this study is to characterise Klebsiella pneumoniae, investigate the optimisation conditions such as initial concentration, pH, media and time via Response Surface Methodology (RSM) and evaluate the relationship among biodegradation, bacteria growth and enzyme activity.