Pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs)
PhACs), classified as have been detected in many water
bodies worldwide. Carbamazepine and naproxen are two typica l PhACs , difficult to be degrade d through the
conventional activated sludge process T he white rot fungus (WRF) Phanerochaete c hrysosporium is known
capable of degrad ing many PhACs efficiently. However , it is hard to keep a long term stable reactor perform ance
for WRF considering the bacterial contamination. Therefore, n ew strategies are required for the stabl e long term
removal of PhACs from real domestic wastewater using WRF . In this stud y , the strategy of immobilization was
examined for enhanc ing the per formance of P c hrysosporium in degradation of carbamazepine and naproxen. T wo
configurations of reactor were tested for P c hrysosporium immobilization and PhACs removal, a rotating
suspension cartridge reactor with P. chrysosporium immobilized on polyure thane foam cubes and a countercurrent
seepage reactor with P. chrysosporium immobilized on wood chips or sawdust [ 1]. The result s showed both reactor
configurations enhanced the carbamazepine removal efficiency significantly during a continuous cultivation period
of ~160 days under non sterile conditions and the removal mainly occurred biologically [1 5 ]]. B oth reactor
configuration s also suppressed the bacterial contamination effectively [ 2]. The n aproxen removal was also
improved by the immobiliz ed P c hry sosporium using both reactor configurations [3 6 The possible mechanisms
for the se two reactor configurations enhanc ing degradation of carbamazepine and naproxen include the increased
resistance of the immobilized f u ngi to bacterial contamination [1], th e conducive effect of immobilization to the
synthesis of extracellular enzyme [3,6], and the efficien t availability of nutrient and oxygen to the fungi in both
reactors [ 2, 4]. The insights obtained in th is stud y would be of significance for developing new technologies to treat
domestic wastewater containing PhACs.