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Derippe G, Philip L, Lemechko P, Eyheraguibel B, Meistertzheim AL, Pujo-Pay M, Conan P, Barbe V, Bruzaud S, Ghiglione JF. Marine biodegradation of tailor-made polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) influenced by the chemical structure and associated bacterial communities. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 462:132782. [PMID: 37856958 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Over recent years, biodegradable polymers have been proposed to reduce environmental impacts of plastics for specific applications. The production of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) by using diverse carbon sources provides further benefits for the sustainable development of biodegradable plastics. Here, we present the first study evaluating the impact of physical, chemical and biological factors driving the biodegradability of various tailor-made PHAs in the marine environment. Our multidisciplinary approach demonstrated that the chemical structure of the polymer (i.e. the side chain size for short- vs. medium-chain PHA) which was intrinsically correlated to the physico-chemical properties, together with the specificity of the biofilm growing on plastic films (i.e., the associated 'plastisphere') were the main drivers of the PHA biodegradation in the marine environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabrielle Derippe
- CNRS, Sorbonne Université, UMR 7621, Laboratoire d'Océanographie Microbienne (LOMIC), 1 Avenue Fabre, F-66650 Banyuls sur mer, France; Université Bretagne Sud, Institut de Recherche Dupuy de Lôme (IRDL), UMR CNRS 6027, 56321 Lorient, France
| | - Léna Philip
- CNRS, Sorbonne Université, UMR 7621, Laboratoire d'Océanographie Microbienne (LOMIC), 1 Avenue Fabre, F-66650 Banyuls sur mer, France; SAS Plastic@Sea, Observatoire Océanologique de Banyuls, France
| | - Pierre Lemechko
- Institut Régional des Matériaux Avancés (IRMA), 2 all. Copernic, 56270 Ploemeur, France
| | - Boris Eyheraguibel
- Université Clermont Auvergne, Clermont Auvergne INP, CNRS, Institut de Chimie (ICCF), Clermont- Ferrand, France
| | | | - Mireille Pujo-Pay
- CNRS, Sorbonne Université, UMR 7621, Laboratoire d'Océanographie Microbienne (LOMIC), 1 Avenue Fabre, F-66650 Banyuls sur mer, France
| | - Pascal Conan
- CNRS, Sorbonne Université, UMR 7621, Laboratoire d'Océanographie Microbienne (LOMIC), 1 Avenue Fabre, F-66650 Banyuls sur mer, France
| | - Valérie Barbe
- Génomique Métabolique, Genoscope, Institut François Jacob, CEA, CNRS, Univ Evry, Université Paris-Saclay, Evry, France
| | - Stéphane Bruzaud
- Université Bretagne Sud, Institut de Recherche Dupuy de Lôme (IRDL), UMR CNRS 6027, 56321 Lorient, France
| | - Jean-François Ghiglione
- CNRS, Sorbonne Université, UMR 7621, Laboratoire d'Océanographie Microbienne (LOMIC), 1 Avenue Fabre, F-66650 Banyuls sur mer, France.
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2
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Liu G, Frankó B, Strömberg S, Zheng D, Nistor M, Liu J, Deng L. Impact of atmospheric pressure variations on aerobic biodegradation test. WASTE MANAGEMENT & RESEARCH : THE JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOLID WASTES AND PUBLIC CLEANSING ASSOCIATION, ISWA 2023; 41:1559-1569. [PMID: 37029528 DOI: 10.1177/0734242x231164320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Biodegradation rate is an important index to evaluate the environmental risk of chemicals, which is usually determined by measuring oxygen consumption through respirometer in a biodegradation test. However, atmospheric pressure variations affect reactor oxygen concentration and oxygen volume recorded by respirometer in biodegradation test, and the parameters of reactor volume and test material amount amplify its effect. Atmospheric pressure variation >1 kPa could introduce >20% underestimation in biodegradation rate when a small amount of test material (0.04-0.2 g per 100 g of inoculum) and high reactor volume (2-4 L) were used according to the international standards. A 5 kPa drop in atmospheric pressure leads to a 6% decrease in headspace oxygen concentration in the reactor, which could subsequently inhibit biodegradation microbials and decrease the biodegradation rate by 30%. Moreover, the biodegradation process (oxygen consumption rate) could be accelerated/delayed several times by atmospheric pressure variations compared to the process without variations when the oxygen consumption rate was <5 mL h-1 in a 0.5 or 1 L reactor and <10 mL h-1 in a 2-L reactor. Mitigating the effects of atmospheric pressure variations on biodegradation test includes lowering the reactor volume, increasing the test material amount and recording atmospheric pressure for further modification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gangjin Liu
- Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Chengdu, China
- Division of Biotechnology, Department of Chemistry, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Balázs Frankó
- Division of Biotechnology, Department of Chemistry, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | | | - Dan Zheng
- Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Chengdu, China
| | | | - Jing Liu
- Division of Biotechnology, Department of Chemistry, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- BPC Instruments AB, Lund, Sweden
| | - Liangwei Deng
- Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Chengdu, China
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3
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Iturbe-Espinoza P, Bonte M, Weedon JT, Braster M, Brandt BW, van Spanning RJ. Correlating the succession of microbial communities from Nigerian soils to petroleum biodegradation. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2023; 39:239. [PMID: 37392206 PMCID: PMC10314880 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-023-03656-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/03/2023]
Abstract
Whilst biodegradation of different hydrocarbon components has been widely demonstrated to occur by specialist oil-degrading bacteria, less is known about the impact on microbial communities as a function of oil composition by comparing the biodegradation of chemically complex fuels to synthetic products. The objectives of this study were (i) to assess the biodegradation capacity and succession of microbial communities isolated from Nigerian soils in media with crude oil or synthetic oil as sole sources of carbon and energy, and (ii) to assess the temporal variability of the microbial community size. Community profiling was done using 16 S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing (Illumina), and oil profiling using gas chromatography. The biodegradation of natural and synthetic oil differed probably due to the content of sulfur that may interfere with the biodegradation of hydrocarbons. Both alkanes and PAHs in the natural oil were biodegraded faster than in the synthetic oil. Variable community responses were observed during the degradation of alkanes and more simple aromatic compounds, but at later phases of growth they became more homogeneous. The degradation capacity and the size of the community from the more-contaminated soil were higher than those from the less-contaminated soil. Six abundant organisms isolated from the cultures were found to biodegrade oil molecules in pure cultures. Ultimately, this knowledge may contribute to a better understanding of how to improve the biodegradation of crude oil by optimizing culturing conditions through inoculation or bioaugmentation of specific bacteria during ex-situ biodegradation such as biodigesters or landfarming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Iturbe-Espinoza
- Systems biology lab, Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085 (location code O|2-2E51), NL-1081HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark.
| | - Matthijs Bonte
- Shell Global Solutions International BV, The Hague, The Netherlands
- MB-Water, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - James T Weedon
- Department of Ecological Science, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Martin Braster
- Systems biology lab, Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085 (location code O|2-2E51), NL-1081HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Bernd W Brandt
- Department of Preventive Dentistry, Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), University of Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Rob Jm van Spanning
- Systems biology lab, Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085 (location code O|2-2E51), NL-1081HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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4
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Birch H, Teixeira A, van Egmond R, Mayer P. Closed aerobic biodegradation kinetics test with activated sludge and low concentration chemical mixtures. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 330:138752. [PMID: 37086980 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The activated sludge process at wastewater treatment plants is important to prevent discharge of organic pollutants to the environment. Determination of biodegradation kinetics in activated sludge is challenging for mixtures that cover a diverse range of structures. The aims of this study were to (1) design a closed aerobic biodegradation batch test with activated sludge and (2) develop a sample preparation procedure that is compatible with LC-MS and Solid Phase Microextraction (SPME) coupled to GC-MS. A headspace:sludge ratio of 4:1 was sufficient to ensure aerobic conditions in activated sludge for 7 days at co-solvent concentrations <0.01%. Ethanol was added to sub-samples (50%) to stop biodegradation, extract sorbed chemicals and allow storage at -18 °C without ice formation. The ethanol extracted the chemicals from the sludge before filtration (0.2 μm). The filtrate was diluted in ultrapure water to <12% ethanol before analysis by SPME GC-MS/MS and was suitable for direct injection on LC-MS/MS. Biodegradation was distinguished from sorption through abiotic controls using autoclaved poisoned sludge. Linalool, naphthalene, α-isomethylionone, phenanthrene, citronellol, drometrizole, 2-ethylhexyl 4-methoxycinnamate, dicyclohexyl phthalate, BP-1, BP-3, methyl-, ethyl-, propylparaben, alkyl sulfates and isethionates degraded within 48 h in activated sludge, while musk ketone, tonalide and 1,3,5-trichlorobenzene did not. A 10 times reduction of sludge density did not markedly affect the microbial diversity but slowed biodegradation kinetics (partly explained by theory). This study demonstrated a 'cold' alternative to an OECD 314b test and how biodegradation kinetics can be determined for mixtures of diverse chemicals in closed batch tests with activated sludge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi Birch
- Technical University of Denmark, Department of Environmental and Resource Engineering, Bygningstorvet, Building 115, 2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.
| | - Alexandre Teixeira
- Unilever, Safety & Environmental Assurance Centre, Bedford, MK44 1LQ, UK
| | - Roger van Egmond
- Unilever, Safety & Environmental Assurance Centre, Bedford, MK44 1LQ, UK
| | - Philipp Mayer
- Technical University of Denmark, Department of Environmental and Resource Engineering, Bygningstorvet, Building 115, 2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
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5
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Ellis M, Altshuler I, Schreiber L, Chen YJ, Okshevsky M, Lee K, Greer CW, Whyte LG. Hydrocarbon biodegradation potential of microbial communities from high Arctic beaches in Canada's Northwest Passage. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2022; 174:113288. [PMID: 35090274 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.113288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 12/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Sea ice loss is opening shipping routes in Canada's Northwest Passage, increasing the risk of an oil spill. Harnessing the capabilities of endemic microorganisms to degrade oil may be an effective remediation strategy for contaminated shorelines; however, limited data exists along Canada's Northwest Passage. In this study, hydrocarbon biodegradation potential of microbial communities from eight high Arctic beaches was assessed. Across high Arctic beaches, community composition was distinct, potential hydrocarbon-degrading genera were detected and microbial communities were able to degrade hydrocarbons (hexadecane, naphthalene, and alkanes) at low temperature (4 °C). Hexadecane and naphthalene biodegradation were stimulated by nutrients, but nutrients had little effect on Ultra Low Sulfur Fuel Oil biodegradation. Oiled microcosms showed a significant enrichment of Pseudomonas and Rhodococcus. Nutrient-amended microcosms showed increased abundances of key hydrocarbon biodegradation genes (alkB and CYP153). Ultimately, this work provides insight into hydrocarbon biodegradation on Arctic shorelines and oil-spill remediation in Canada's Northwest Passage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madison Ellis
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Quebec, Canada.
| | - Ianina Altshuler
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Quebec, Canada; Faculty of Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences NMBU, Ås, Norway
| | - Lars Schreiber
- Energy, Mining and Environment Research Centre, National Research Council of Canada, Quebec, Canada
| | - Ya-Jou Chen
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Quebec, Canada
| | - Mira Okshevsky
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Quebec, Canada; Department of Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council of Canada, Quebec, Canada
| | - Kenneth Lee
- Ecosystem Science, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Charles W Greer
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Quebec, Canada; Energy, Mining and Environment Research Centre, National Research Council of Canada, Quebec, Canada
| | - Lyle G Whyte
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Quebec, Canada
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6
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Salvito D, Fernandez M, Jenner K, Lyon DY, de Knecht J, Mayer P, MacLeod M, Eisenreich K, Leonards P, Cesnaitis R, León‐Paumen M, Embry M, Déglin SE. Improving the Environmental Risk Assessment of Substances of Unknown or Variable Composition, Complex Reaction Products, or Biological Materials. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2020; 39:2097-2108. [PMID: 32780492 PMCID: PMC7693076 DOI: 10.1002/etc.4846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2020] [Revised: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Substances of unknown or variable composition, complex reaction products, or biological materials (UVCBs) pose unique risk assessment challenges to regulators and to product registrants. These substances can contain many constituents, sometimes partially unknown and/or variable, depending on fluctuations in their source material and/or manufacturing process. International regulatory agencies have highlighted the difficulties in characterizing UVCBs and assessing their toxicity and environmental fate. Several industrial sectors have attempted to address these issues by developing frameworks and characterization methods. Based on the output of a 2016 workshop, this critical review examines current practices for UVCB risk assessment and reveals a need for a multipronged and transparent approach integrating whole-substance and constituent-based information. In silico tools or empirical measurements can provide information on discrete and/or blocks of UVCB constituents with similar hazard properties. Read-across and/or whole-substance toxicity and fate testing using adapted emerging methods can provide whole-substance information. Continued collaboration of stakeholders representing government, industry, and academia will facilitate the development of practical testing strategies and guidelines for addressing regulatory requirements for UVCBs. Environ Toxicol Chem 2020;39:2097-2108. © 2020 Health and Environmental Sciences Institute. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Salvito
- Research Institute for Fragrance Materials, Woodcliff LakeNew JerseyUSA
| | - Marc Fernandez
- Environment and Climate Change CanadaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | | | | | - Joop de Knecht
- Netherlands National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, BilthovenThe Netherlands
| | - Philipp Mayer
- Technical University of Denmark, Kongens LyngbyDenmark
| | | | - Karen Eisenreich
- Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, US Environmental Protection AgencyWashingtonDC
| | - Pim Leonards
- Vrije Universiteit AmsterdamAmsterdamNetherlands
| | | | | | - Michelle Embry
- Health and Environmental Sciences InstituteWashingtonDCUSA
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7
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Brown DM, Lyon D, Saunders DMV, Hughes CB, Wheeler JR, Shen H, Whale G. Biodegradability assessment of complex, hydrophobic substances: Insights from gas-to-liquid (GTL) fuel and solvent testing. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 727:138528. [PMID: 32334217 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Revised: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 04/05/2020] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
Abstract
The assessment of substances of Unknown or Variable composition, Complex reaction products or Biological materials (UVCBs) presents significant challenges when determining biodegradation potential and environmental persistence for regulatory purposes. An example of UVCBs is the gas-to-liquid (GTL) products, which are synthetic hydrocarbons produced from natural gas using a catalytic process known as the Fischer-Tropsch process. These synthetic hydrocarbons are fractionated into a wide array of products equivalent in function to their petroleum-derived analogues. Here we summarise the results of an extensive testing program to assess the biodegradability of several GTL products. This program highlights the challenges associated with UVCBs and provides a case study for the assessment of such substances that are also poorly soluble and volatile. When tested with the appropriate methods, all the GTL products assessed in this study were found to be readily biodegradable indicating they are not likely to be persistent in the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - James R Wheeler
- Shell Health, Shell International B.V., The Hague, the Netherlands
| | - Hua Shen
- Shell Health Americas, Houston, USA
| | - Graham Whale
- Whale Environmental Consultancy Limited, Chester, UK
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8
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Ott A, Martin TJ, Acharya K, Lyon DY, Robinson N, Rowles B, Snape JR, Still I, Whale GF, Albright VC, Bäverbäck P, Best N, Commander R, Eickhoff C, Finn S, Hidding B, Maischak H, Sowders KA, Taruki M, Walton HE, Wennberg AC, Davenport RJ. Multi-laboratory Validation of a New Marine Biodegradation Screening Test for Chemical Persistence Assessment. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2020; 54:4210-4220. [PMID: 32162906 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b07710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Current biodegradation screening tests are not specifically designed for persistence assessment of chemicals, often show high inter- and intra-test variability, and often give false negative biodegradation results. Based on previous studies and recommendations, an international ring test involving 13 laboratories validated a new test method for marine biodegradation with a focus on improving the reliability of screening to determine the environmental degradation potential of chemicals. The new method incorporated increased bacterial cell concentrations to better represent the microbial diversity; a chemical is likely to be exposed in the sampled environments and ran beyond 60 days, which is the half-life threshold for chemical persistence in the marine environment. The new test provided a more reliable and less variable characterization of the biodegradation behavior of five reference chemicals (sodium benzoate, triethanolamine, 4-nitrophenol, anionic polyacrylamide, and pentachlorophenol), with respect to REACH and OSPAR persistence thresholds, than the current OECD 306 test. The proposed new method provides a cost-effective screening test for non-persistence that could streamline chemical regulation and reduce the cost and animal welfare implications of further higher tier testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amelie Ott
- School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, United Kingdom
| | - Timothy J Martin
- School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, United Kingdom
| | - Kishor Acharya
- School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, United Kingdom
| | - Delina Y Lyon
- Shell Oil Company, 150 N. Dairy Ashford Rd., Houston, Texas 77079, United States
| | - Nik Robinson
- European Oilfield Specialty Chemicals Association (EOSCA), Aberdeen AB11 6YQ, United Kingdom
| | - Bob Rowles
- Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), Pakefield Road, Lowestoft NR33 0HT, United Kingdom
| | - Jason R Snape
- School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, United Kingdom
- AstraZeneca Global Environment, Mereside, Alderley Park, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK10 4TF, United Kingdom
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Campus, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom
| | - Ian Still
- European Oilfield Specialty Chemicals Association (EOSCA), Aberdeen AB11 6YQ, United Kingdom
| | - Graham F Whale
- Risk Science Team, Shell International Ltd., 4 York Road, London SE1 7NA, United Kingdom
| | - Vurtice C Albright
- Toxicology & Environmental Research & Consulting, The Dow Chemical Company, Midland, Michigan 48674, United States
| | - Petra Bäverbäck
- Schlumberger, Sandslikroken 140, Sandsli, Bergen 5254, Norway
| | - Nicola Best
- Covance CRS Research Limited, Shardlow Business Park, London Road, Derby DE72 2GD, United Kingdom
| | - Ruth Commander
- Scymaris Ltd., Brixham Laboratory, Brixham TQ5 8BA, United Kingdom
| | - Curtis Eickhoff
- Nautilus Environmental Company, Inc., Burnaby, BC V5A 4N7, Canada
| | - Sarah Finn
- National Oilwell Varco (NOV), Flotta, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3NP, United Kingdom
| | - Björn Hidding
- BASF SE, Carl-Bosch-Straße 38, Ludwigshafen am Rhein 67056, Germany
| | - Heiko Maischak
- Noack Laboratorien GmbH, Käthe-Paulus-Straße 1, Sarstedt, Hildesheim 31157, Germany
| | - Katherine A Sowders
- Baker Hughes - Environmental Services Group, 369 Marshall Ave., Webster Groves, Missouri 63119, United States
| | - Masanori Taruki
- Chemicals Evaluation and Research Institute, Japan, Kurume (CERI Kurume), 3-2-7 Miyanojin, Kurume-shi, Fukuoka 839-0801, Japan
| | - Helen E Walton
- Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), Pakefield Road, Lowestoft NR33 0HT, United Kingdom
| | | | - Russell J Davenport
- School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, United Kingdom
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9
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Ott A, Martin TJ, Snape JR, Davenport RJ. Increased cell numbers improve marine biodegradation tests for persistence assessment. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 706:135621. [PMID: 31841849 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2019] [Revised: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 11/17/2019] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
Abstract
Currently available OECD biodegradation screening tests (BSTs) are not particularly suited for persistence screening. Their duration can be much less than international half-life thresholds for persistence and they are variable and stringent, therefore prone to false negatives. The present study extended test durations beyond 28 days and increased biomass concentrations for marine BSTs to better represent the microbial diversity inherent in the sampled environment. For this so-called environmentally relevant BST (erBST) marine cell concentrations were nominally increased 100-fold by tangential flow filtration. The marine erBST was validated against a standard BST using five 14C labeled reference compounds with a range of biodegradation potentials (aniline, 4-fluorophenol, 4-nitrophenol, 4-chloroaniline and pentachlorophenol) in a modified OECD 301B test. A full mass balance was collated to follow chemical fate in the tests. The erBST was more accurate and less variable than the comparator BST in assigning the reference compounds to their expected biodegradation classifications (non-persistent or potentially persistent). According to the REACH non-persistence criterion of ≥60% biodegradation over 60 days, the erBST correctly classified 60% of chemical replicates according to their expected biodegradation classification and had a coefficient of variation of 21% between replicates. In contrast, the BST correctly assessed 40% of reference chemicals in regards to their expected biodegradation classification with a coefficient of variation of 36%. All non-persistent chemicals showed increased degradation in the erBST, except for 4-chloroaniline, which did not degrade in either BST or erBST. Both tests showed no false positive results, correctly classifying the negative control pentachlorophenol as potentially persistent. Next, it is recommended to further validate the marine erBST in an inter-laboratory study incorporating different seawater sources to fully assess its variability and reliability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amelie Ott
- Newcastle University, School of Engineering, Cassie Building, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK.
| | - Timothy J Martin
- Newcastle University, School of Engineering, Cassie Building, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Jason R Snape
- Newcastle University, School of Engineering, Cassie Building, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK; AstraZeneca Global Environment, Mereside, Alderley Park, Macclesfield, Cheshire SK10 4TF, UK; University of Warwick, School of Life Sciences, Gibbet Hill Campus, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Russell J Davenport
- Newcastle University, School of Engineering, Cassie Building, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
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10
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Gatidou G, Vazaiou N, Thomaidis NS, Stasinakis AS. Biodegradability assessment of food additives using OECD 301F respirometric test. CHEMOSPHERE 2020; 241:125071. [PMID: 31683420 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.125071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2019] [Revised: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/06/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The ready biodegradability of twenty food additives, belonging to the classes of artificial sweeteners, natural sweeteners, preservatives and colorings, was investigated using activated sludge as inoculum and OECD 301F respirometric test. According to the results, saccharin, aspartame, sodium cyclamate, xylitol, erythritol, maltitol, potassium sorbate, benzoic acid and sodium ascorbate are characterized as readily biodegradable compounds, partial biodegradation (<60% during the test) was noticed for steviol, inulin, alitame, curcumin, ponceau 4R and tartrazine, while no biodegradation was observed for the other five compounds. The duration of lag phase before the start of biodegradation varied between the target compounds, while their ultimate biodegradation half-life values ranged between 0.7 ± 0.1 days (benzoic acid) and 24.6 ± 1.0 days (curcumin). The expected removal of target compounds due to ultimate biodegradation mechanism was estimated for a biological wastewater treatment system operated at a retention time of one day and percentages higher than 40% were calculated for sodium cyclamate, potassium sorbate and benzoic acid. Higher removal percentages are expected in full-scale Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) due to the contribution of other mechanisms such as sorption to suspended solids, (bio)transformation and co-metabolic phenomena. Further biodegradation experiments should be conducted under different experimental conditions for the food additives that did not fulfill the requirements of the applied protocol. Future studies should also focus on the occurrence and fate of food colorants and natural sweeteners in full-scale STPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgia Gatidou
- Department of Environment, Water and Air Quality Laboratory, University of the Aegean, University Hill, Mytilene, 81100, Greece.
| | - Niki Vazaiou
- Department of Environment, Water and Air Quality Laboratory, University of the Aegean, University Hill, Mytilene, 81100, Greece
| | - Nikolaos S Thomaidis
- Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, 157 71, Greece
| | - Athanasios S Stasinakis
- Department of Environment, Water and Air Quality Laboratory, University of the Aegean, University Hill, Mytilene, 81100, Greece
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11
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Shrestha P, Meisterjahn B, Hughes CB, Mayer P, Birch H, Hennecke D. Biodegradation testing of volatile hydrophobic chemicals in water-sediment systems - Experimental developments and challenges. CHEMOSPHERE 2020; 238:124516. [PMID: 31445331 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.124516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2019] [Revised: 08/02/2019] [Accepted: 08/03/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Degradation data are crucial for the persistence assessment of chemicals and they are generated using standard OECD guidelines. The OECD 308 describes a simulation biodegradation test of chemicals in water-sediment systems. This guideline is not applicable for testing highly volatile chemicals and recommends a closed biometer test setup for testing slightly volatile chemicals. However, proper details on system geometries, construction and monitoring of aerobic conditions are not provided. The choice of system geometry and sediment:water ratio influences the partitioning of test chemicals between different compartments (water, sediment and headspace) and can therefore affect their degradation. The guideline recommends the addition of test chemical via aqueous solutions, which however is not possible for hydrophobic volatile chemicals due to their volatilization losses and low solubility. Thus, the use of a co-solvent is necessary for the application of such chemicals but its effects in a closed setup has not been studied. We recently developed an improved closed test setup for testing volatile chemicals in soil. The objective was to adapt this improved test setup to conduct OECD 308 tests using 14C labelled chemicals with different volatilities. Using the adapted test setup it was possible to obtain a complete mass balance even for n-decane and tetralin having the highest Henry's constants of the tested chemicals. However, the use of co-solvent affected the oxygen levels, which in turn affected microbial activity and likely also the degradation of test chemicals. Therefore, the adapted test setup needs further developments for the testing of volatile hydrophobic chemicals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prasit Shrestha
- Fraunhofer IME-AE, Auf dem Aberg 1, 57392, Schmallenberg, Germany; Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University Denmark, 2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.
| | | | | | - Philipp Mayer
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University Denmark, 2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Heidi Birch
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University Denmark, 2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Dieter Hennecke
- Fraunhofer IME-AE, Auf dem Aberg 1, 57392, Schmallenberg, Germany
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Junker T, Coors A, Schüürmann G. Compartment-Specific Screening Tools for Persistence: Potential Role and Application in the Regulatory Context. INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT 2019; 15:470-481. [PMID: 30638305 DOI: 10.1002/ieam.4125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2018] [Revised: 10/01/2018] [Accepted: 01/09/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The persistence assessment under the European Union regulation Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) relies on compartment-specific degradation half-lives derived from laboratory simulation studies with surface water, aquatic sediment, or soil. Although these data are given priority, they are not available for most of the compounds. Therefore, according to the Integrated Assessment and Testing Strategy (ITS) for persistence assessment, results from ready biodegradability tests (RBTs) are used within a persistence screening to decide whether a substance is considered as "not persistent" or "potentially persistent." However, ready biodegradability is currently tested only in water. Consequently, there is a lack of approaches that include the soil and sediment compartments for persistence assessment at the screening level. In previous studies, compartment-specific screening tools for water-sediment (Water-Sediment Screening Tool [WSST]) and soil (Soil Screening Tool [SST]) were developed based on the existing test guideline Organisation for Economic Development and Co-operation (OECD TG 301C [MITI (Ministry of International Trade and Industry, Japan) test]). The test systems MITI, WSST, and SST were successfully applied to determine sound and reliable biodegradation data for 15 test compounds. In the present study, these results are used within the scope of a new alternative persistence screening approach, the Compartment-Specific Persistence Screening (CSPS). Compared to the persistence screening under REACH, the CSPS is a more conservative approach that provides additional reasonable results, particularly for compounds that sorb to sediment and soil, and for which the current standard persistence screening might be insufficient. Thus, the CSPS can be used to identify potentially persistent and nonpersistent compounds in the regulatory context by a comprehensive assessment that includes water, soil, and sediment. Moreover, experimentally determined half-lives from the compartment-specific screening tools can be used as input for multimedia models that estimate, for example, overall persistence (Pov ). The application of fixed half-life factors to extrapolate from water to soil and sediment, which is here demonstrated to be inappropriate, can thereby be avoided. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2019;00:000-000. © 2019 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anja Coors
- ECT Oekotoxikologie GmbH, Flörsheim, Germany
| | - Gerrit Schüürmann
- UFZ Department of Ecological Chemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Technical University Bergakademie Freiberg, Freiberg, Germany
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Shrestha P, Meisterjahn B, Klein M, Mayer P, Birch H, Hughes CB, Hennecke D. Biodegradation of Volatile Chemicals in Soil: Separating Volatilization and Degradation in an Improved Test Setup (OECD 307). ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2019; 53:20-28. [PMID: 30507175 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.8b05079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
During environmental risk assessments of chemicals, higher-tier biodegradation tests in soil, sediment, and surface-water systems are required using OECD standards 307, 308, and 309 guidelines, respectively. These guidelines are not suitable for testing highly volatile chemicals, and a biometer closed-incubation setup is recommended for testing slightly volatile chemicals. In this setup, the degradation kinetics of highly volatile chemicals can largely be influenced by volatilization. Additionally, guidelines lack sufficient information on test-system geometry and guidance on how to measure and maintain aerobic conditions during the test. Our objectives were (1) to design a closed test setup for biodegradation tests in soil in which the maintaining and measuring of aerobic conditions was possible without the loss of volatile test chemicals and (2) to suggest data-treatment measures for evaluating the degradation kinetics of volatile test chemicals. With the new setup, full-scale OECD 307 tests were performed using the volatile 14C-labeled chemicals decane and tetralin. For both test chemicals, reproducible complete mass balances were observed, and the new setup ensured that the volatilization losses were kept below the mineralized fraction. Based on the obtained data, an extended model was developed that enabled consideration of the volatilization in the modeling of degradation kinetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prasit Shrestha
- Fraunhofer IME-AE , Auf dem Aberg 1 , 57392 Schmallenberg Germany
- Department of Environmental Engineering , Technical University Denmark , 2800 Kongens Lyngby , Denmark
| | | | - Michael Klein
- Fraunhofer IME-AE , Auf dem Aberg 1 , 57392 Schmallenberg Germany
| | - Philipp Mayer
- Department of Environmental Engineering , Technical University Denmark , 2800 Kongens Lyngby , Denmark
| | - Heidi Birch
- Department of Environmental Engineering , Technical University Denmark , 2800 Kongens Lyngby , Denmark
| | | | - Dieter Hennecke
- Fraunhofer IME-AE , Auf dem Aberg 1 , 57392 Schmallenberg Germany
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