EGSB reactor biomass subjected to caffeine, aspartame, sucralose and cyclamate. Metagenome

In recent years, industrialization has significantly transformed pollution patterns, resulting in the continuous introduction of new contaminants into the environment. These include industrial chemicals, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, antibiotics, surfactants and a wide range of consumer goods (C. Li et al., 2025; Wang et al., 2024). These contaminants, classified as of emerging interest, are chemical substances or biological agents, synthetic or natural, that have recently been detected in the environment and are considered potentially dangerous, or whose dangerousness has only recently been recognized for human health and the integrity of ecosystems. Among the emerging contaminants are caffeine (CAF) and low-calorie or no-calorie sweeteners (ABNC). The aim of this study was to evaluate the removal and degradation of CAF and ABNC in an EGSB reactor using sewage from the Monjolinho WWTP (Sao Carlos - SP, Brazil) at different concentrations of these compounds. It also sought to characterize the microbial communities involved in degradation by sequencing the 16S rRNA gene.