TY - JOUR N2 - Since fluoroquinolone (FQ) antibiotics are extensively used both in human and veterinary medicine their accumulation in the environment is causing increasing concern. The aim of the study was to isolate a microbial consortium resistant to ofl oxacin and norfl oxacin and able to biodegrade both antibiotics. Green compost was used as a source of microorganisms. The biodegradation effi ciency was monitored by changes of antibiotics concentrations and toxicity. The microbial consortium was composed of two bacterial isolates: Klebsiella pneumoniae (K2) and Achromobacter sp. (K3) and two fungi Candida manassasensis (K1) and Trichosporon asahii (K4). All the isolates were characterized as highly resistant to both antibiotics – ofl oxacin and norfl oxacin. FQs were supplied individually into the culture medium in the presence of an easily degradable carbon source – glucose. Biodegradation of norfl oxacin was much faster than ofl oxacin biodegradation. During 20 days of the experiment, the norfl oxacin level decreased by more than 80%. Ofl oxacin was generally biodegraded thereafter at relatively slow biodegradation rate. After 28 days the ofl oxacin level decreased by 60%. Similarly, the toxicity of biodegraded antibiotics decreased 4-fold and 3.5-fold for norfl oxacin and ofl oxacin, respectively. The ability of the bacterial-fungal consortium to degrade antibiotics and reduce toxicity could help to reduce environmental pollution with these pharmaceutical. L1 - http://czasopisma.pan.pl/Content/113719/PDF-MASTER/blank.pdf L2 - http://czasopisma.pan.pl/Content/113719 PY - 2019 IS - No 4 EP - 47 DO - 10.24425/aep.2019.130240 KW - biodegradation KW - antibiotics KW - norfloxacin KW - ofloxacin KW - bacterial-fungal consortium KW - green compost A1 - Jałowiecki, Łukasz A1 - Płaza, Grażyna A1 - Ejhed, Helene A1 - Nawrotek, Monika PB - Polish Academy of Sciences VL - vol. 45 DA - 02.12.2019 T1 - Aerobic biodegradation of norfloxacin and ofloxacin by a microbial consortium SP - 40 UR - http://czasopisma.pan.pl/dlibra/publication/edition/113719 T2 - Archives of Environmental Protection ER -