Harnessing Plants for Ciprofloxacin Pollution: A Green Approach

Antibiotic pollution is a major environmental risk that is contributing to the emergence of antibiotic resistance and threatening public health. This review addresses the sources of antibiotic contamination, focusing on ciprofloxacin, a commonly used human & veterinary antibiotic. Some of the main sources are pharmaceutical manufacturing, agricultural runoff, hospital discharges, and improper medication disposal, which lead to a significant cause of increase in environmental antibiotic levels. Ciprofloxacin has been found in various environmental matrices, such as soil, water, and sediments, with concentrations varying at both Indian and global levels. The review discusses phytoremediation as an effective, green approach for eliminating antibiotics from the environment. Various plant species have shown the capacity to absorb and degrade ciprofloxacin, decreasing the amount of the antibiotic in the surrounding environment. The goal of this review is to evaluate phytoremediation as a potential mitigation method for ciprofloxacin pollution and to comprehend the extent of this pollution.