Co-metabolism of 2,4-dichlorophenol and 4-Cl-m-cresol in the presence of glucose as an easily assimilated carbon source by Staphylococcus xylosus

Metabolic engineering of Pseudomonas bharatica CSV86T to degrade Carbaryl (1-naphthyl-N-methylcarbamate) via the salicylate-catechol route

Pseudomonas bharatica CSV86T displays the unique property of preferential utilization of aromatic compounds over simple carbon sources like glucose and glycerol and their co-metabolism with organic acids. Well-characterized growth conditions, aromatic compound metabolic pathways and their regulation, genome sequence, and advantageous eco-physiological traits (indole acetic acid production, alginate production, fusaric acid resistance, organic sulfur utilization, and siderophore production) make it an ideal host for metabolic engineering. Strain CSV86T was engineered for Carbaryl (1-naphthyl-N-methylcarbamate) degradation via salicylate-catechol route by expression of a Carbaryl hydrolase (CH) and a 1-naphthol 2-hydroxylase (1NH). Additionally, the engineered strain exhibited faster growth on Carbaryl upon expression of the McbT protein (encoded by the mcbT gene, a part of Carbaryl degradation upper operon of Pseudomonas sp. C5pp). Bioinformatic analyses predict McbT to be an outer membrane protein, and Carbaryl-dependent expression suggests its probable role in Carbaryl uptake. Enzyme activity and protein analyses suggested periplasmic localization of CH (carrying transmembrane domain plus signal peptide sequence at the N-terminus) and 1NH, enabling compartmentalization of the pathway. Enzyme activity, whole-cell oxygen uptake, spent media analyses, and qPCR results suggest that the engineered strain preferentially utilizes Carbaryl over glucose. The plasmid-encoded degradation property was stable for 75-90 generations even in the absence of selection pressure (kanamycin or Carbaryl). These results indicate the utility of P. bharatica CSV86T as a potential host for engineering various aromatic compound degradation pathways.IMPORTANCEThe current study describes engineering of Carbaryl metabolic pathway in Pseudomonas bharatica CSV86T. Carbaryl, a naphthalene-derived carbamate pesticide, is known to act as an endocrine disruptor, mutagen, cytotoxin, and carcinogen. Removal of xenobiotics from the environment using bioremediation faces challenges, such as slow degradation rates, instability of the degradation phenotype, and presence of simple carbon sources in the environment. The engineered CSV86-MEC2 overcomes these disadvantages as Carbaryl was degraded preferentially over glucose. Furthermore, the plasmid-borne degradation phenotype is stable, and presence of glucose and organic acids does not repress Carbaryl metabolism in the strain. The study suggests the role of outer membrane protein McbT in Carbaryl transport. This work highlights the suitability of P. bharatica CSV86T as an ideal host for engineering aromatic pollutant degradation pathways.

Degradation and metagenomic analysis of 4-chlorophenol utilizing multiple metal tolerant bacterial consortium

Chlorophenols are persistent environmental pollutants used in synthesizing dyes, drugs, pesticides, and other industrial products. The chlorophenols released from these processes seriously threaten the environment and human health. The present study describes 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) degradation activity and metagenome structure of a bacterial consortium enriched in a 4-CP-containing medium. The consortium utilized 4-CP as a single carbon source at a wide pH range, temperature, and in the presence of heavy metals. The immobilized consortium retained its degradation capacity for an extended period. The 4-aminoantipyrine colorimetric analysis revealed complete mineralization of 4-CP up to 200 mg/L concentration and followed the zero-order kinetics. The addition of glycerol and yeast extract enhanced the degradation efficiency. The consortium showed both ortho- and meta-cleavage activity of catechol dioxygenase. Whole genome sequence (WGS) analysis revealed the microbial compositions and functional genes related to xenobiotic degradation pathways. The identified genes were mapped on the KEGG database to construct the 4-CP degradation pathway. The results exhibited the high potential of the consortium for bioremediation of 4-CP contaminated sites. To our knowledge, this is the first report on WGS analysis of a 4-CP degrading bacterial consortium.

Tris-Copper Nanozyme as a Novel Laccase Mimic for the Detection and Degradation of Phenolic Compounds

Phenolic compounds are one of the main organic pollutants in the environment that can seriously affect ecosystems, even at very low concentrations. Due to the resistance of phenolic compounds to microorganisms, conventional biological treatment methods face challenges in effectively addressing this pollution problem. In this study, a novel laccase mimic (Tris-Cu nanozyme) is prepared using a simple and rapid synthesis strategy based on the coordination of copper ions and amino groups in Tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (Tris). It is found that the Tris-Cu nanozyme exhibits good catalytic activity against a variety of phenolic compounds, the Km, Vmax and Kcat are determined to be 0.18 mM, 15.62 μM·min-1 and 1.57 × 107 min-1 using 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DP) as the substrate, respectively. Then, based on the laccase-like activity of the Tris-Cu nanozyme, a novel colorimetric method for 2,4-DP (the limit of detection (LOD) = 2.4 μM, S/N = 3) detection in the range of 10-400 μM was established, and its accuracy was verified by analyzing tap and lake water samples. In addition, the Tris-Cu nanozyme shows excellent removal abilities for six phenolic compounds in experiments. The removal percentages for 2,4-DP, 2-chlorophenol (2-CP), phenol, resorcinol, 2,6-dimethoxyphenol (2,6-DOP), and bisphenol A (BPA) are 100%, 100%, 100%, 100%, 87%, and 81% at 1 h, respectively. In the simulated effluent, the Tris-Cu nanozyme maintains its efficient catalytic activity towards 2,4-DP, with a degradation percentage of 76.36% at 7 min and a reaction rate constant (k0) of 0.2304 min-1. Therefore, this metal-organic complex shows promise for applications in the monitoring and degrading of environmental pollutants.

Functional fungal pellets self-immobilized by mycelium fragments of Irpex lacteus WRF-IL for efficient degradation of sulfamethazine as the sole carbon source

In order to achieve an efficient microbial material with dual functions of self-immobilization and sulfamethazine (SMZ) degradation, this study explored the pelletization technique utilizing mycelium fragments of Irpex lacteus WRF-IL and systematically examined the pellets formation conditions and degradation capability. The Box-Behnken design results demonstrated that pure mycelium fragments, broken by frosted glass beads, could be rapidly self-immobilized to form white rot mycelial pellets (WRMPs) within 24 h, serving as the pelleting core. These WRMPs could completely remove SMZ as the sole carbon source within 20 h. The addition of sucrose expedited this process, achieving complete removal within only 14 h. Kinetic analysis showed that WRMPs could potentially remove SMZ at higher concentrations (>25 mg/L). Biodegradation was the primary pathway of SMZ removal. Seven intermediates were identified by QTOF LC/MS, and three transformation pathways initiated by SO₂ overflow, molecular rearrangement, and aniline moiety oxidation were deduced.

Co-inducible Catabolism of 2-Naphthol Initiated by Hydroxylase CehC1C2 in Rhizobium sp. X9 Removed Its Ecotoxicity

2-Naphthol, which originates from various industrial activities, is widely disseminated through the discharge of industrial wastewater and is, thus, harmful to the water ecosystem, agricultural production, and human health. In this study, the carbaryl degrading strain Rhizobium sp. X9 was proven to be able to degrade 2-naphthol and reduce its toxicity to rice (Oryza sativa) and Chlorella ellipsoidea. Two-component hydroxylase CehC1C2 is responsible for the initial step of degradation and generates 1,2-dihydroxynaphthalene, which is further degraded by the ceh cluster. The transcription of gene cluster cehC1C2 could be induced when both 2-naphthol and glucose were added. A bioinformatic analysis revealed that two transcriptional regulators, the inhibitor CehR2 and the activator CehR3, could be involved in this process. Our study elucidated the molecular mechanism of microbial degradation of 2-naphthol and provided an effective strategy for the in situ remediation of 2-naphthol contamination in the environment.

Oxygen vacancy-mediated peroxydisulfate activation and singlet oxygen generation toward 2,4-dichlorophenol degradation on specific CuO1-x nanosheets

Durable and stable removal of 2,4-dichlorophenpl (2,4-DCP) by CuO_1-x nanosheets is reported. CuO_1-x nanosheets were fabricated by a simple defect engineering strategy and greatly increased the efficiency of peroxydisulfate (PDS) activation to improve 2,4-DCP removal by introducing abundant oxygen vacancy (V_o) to produce an electron-rich surface. Results showed that CuO_1-x nanosheets exposed more V_o as active sites for PDS activation as compared with that of CuO nanoparticles, giving rise to dramatic enhancement of catalytic performance with ultrahigh reaction rate that is qualified for serving in flow filtration system, completely degrading 100 mg L^-1 of 2,4-DCP within 3 s of residence time. Besides, experimental studies confirmed that ¹O₂ generated by V_o - mediated PDS activation plays the dominate role in the degradation of contaminants. Relative to the previously reported CuO/PDS systems, the obtained CuO_1-x nanosheets demonstrated 2.7 times higher specific PDS activity and 67 times higher specific CuO activity for 2,4-DCP removal. Our study not only improves the fundamental understanding of active sites in morphologically tunable metal oxides but also proposes a guideline for future research and engineering application of persulfate.

The potential role of betaine in enhancement of microbial-assisted phytoremediation of benzophenone-3 contaminated soil

Benzophenone-3 (BP-3) is an emerging environmental pollutant used in personal care products, helping to reduce the risk of ultraviolet radiation to human skin. The BP-3 removal potential from soil by tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) assisted with Methylophilus sp. FP-6 was explored in our previous study. However, the reduced BP-3 remediation efficiency by FP-6 in soil and the inhibited plant growth by BP-3 limited the application of this phytoremediation strategy. The aim of the present study was to reveal the potential roles of betaine, as the methyl donor of methylotrophic bacteria and plant regulator, in improving the strain FP-6-assisted phytoremediation capacity of BP-3 contaminated soil. The results revealed that strain FP-6 could use betaine as a co-metabolism substrate to enhance the BP-3 degradation activity. About 97.32% BP-3 in soil was effectively removed in the phytoremediation system using tobacco in combination with FP-6 and betaine for 40 d while the concentration of BP-3 in tobacco significantly reduced. Moreover, the biomass and photosynthetic efficiency of plants were remarkably improved through the combined treatment of betaine and strain FP-6. Simultaneously, inoculation of FP-6 in the presence of betaine stimulated the change of local microbial community structure, which might correlate with the production of a series of hydrolases and reductases involved in soil carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus cycling processes. Meantime, some of the dominant bacteria could secrete various multiple enzymes involved in degrading organic pollutants, such as laccase, to accelerate the demethylation and hydroxylation of BP-3. Overall, the results from this study proposed that the co-metabolic role of betaine could be utilized to strengthen microbial-assisted phytoremediation process by increasing the degradation ability of methylotrophic bacteria and enhancing plant tolerance to BP-3. The present results provide novel insights and perspectives for broadening the engineering application scope of microbial-assisted phytoremediation of organic pollutants without sacrificing economic crop safety.

Response surface algorithm for improved biotransformation of 1,4-dioxane using Staphylococcus capitis strain AG

The present investigation reports the biotransformation of an endrocrine disrupting agent; 1,4-dioxane through bacterial metabolism. Initially, potential bacterial isolates capable of surviving with minimum 1,4-dioxane were screened from industrial wastewater. Thereafter, screening was done to isolate a bacteria which can biotransform higher concentration (1000 mg/L) of 1,4-dioxane. Morphological and biochemical features were examined prior establishing their phylogenetic relationships and the bacterium was identified as Staphylococcus capitis strain AG. Biotransformation experiments were tailored using response surface tool and predictions were made to elucidate the opimal conditions. Critical factors influencing bio-transformation efficiency such as tetrahydrofuran, availability of 1,4-dioxane and inoculum size were varied at three different levels as per the central composite design for ameliorating 1,4-dioxane removal. Functional attenuation of 1,4-dioxane by S. capitis strain AG were understood using spectroscopic techniques were significant changes in the peak positions and chemical shifts were visualized. Mass spectral profile revealed that 1.5 (% v/v) S. capitis strain AG could completely (∼99%) remove 1000 mg/L 1,4-dioxane, when incubated with 2 μg/L tetrahydrofuran for 96 h. The toxicity of 1,4-dioxane and biotransformed products by S. capitis strain AG were tested on Artemia salina. The results of toxicity tests revealed that the metabolic products were less toxic as they exerted minimal mortality rate after 48 h exposure. Thus, this research would be the first to report the response prediction and precise tailoring of 1,4-dioxane biotransformation using S. captis strain AG.

Optimization and reconstruction of two new complete degradation pathways for 3-chlorocatechol and 4-chlorocatechol in Escherichia coli

Chlorinated aromatic compounds are a serious environmental concern because of their widespread occurrence throughout the environment. Although several microorganisms have evolved to gain the ability to degrade chlorinated aromatic compounds and use them as carbon sources, they still cannot meet the diverse needs of pollution remediation. In this study, the degradation pathways for 3-chlorocatechol (3CC) and 4-chlorocatechol (4CC) were successfully reconstructed by the optimization, synthesis, and assembly of functional genes from different strains. The addition of a ¹³C-labeled substrate and functional analysis of different metabolic modules confirmed that the genetically engineered strains can metabolize chlorocatechol similar to naturally degrading strains. The strain containing either of these artificial pathways can degrade catechol, 3CC, and 4CC completely, although differences in the degradation efficiency may be noted. Proteomic analysis and scanning electron microscopy observation showed that 3CC and 4CC have toxic effects on Escherichia coli, but the engineered bacteria can significantly eliminate these inhibitory effects. As core metabolic pathways for the degradation of chloroaromatics, the two chlorocatechol degradation pathways constructed in this study can be used to construct pollution remediation-engineered bacteria, and the related technologies may be applied to construct complete degradation pathways for complex organic hazardous materials.

Successful application of municipal domestic wastewater as a co-substrate in 2,4,6-trichlorophenol degradation

Wastewater containing 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (2,4,6-TCP) is highly toxic and causes harmful effects on aquatic ecosystems and human health. In this study, wastewater containing high levels of 2,4,6-TCP was successfully co-metabolized by introducing municipal domestic wastewater (MDW) as the co-catabolic carbon source. The concentration of degraded 2,4,6-TCP increased from 0 to 208.71 mg/L by adjusting the influent MDW volume during a 150-day-long operation. An MDW dose of 500 mL was found optimal, with an average concentration of 250 mgCOD/L. Unlike the long-term experiment, changing the MDW adding mode in a typical cycle further increased the concentration of 2,4,6-TCP removed to 317 mg/L. The main MDW components, such as the sugars, VFAs, and slowly biodegradable organic substances, improved 2,4,6-TCP degradation, achieving a TOC removal efficiency of 90.98% and a dechlorination efficiency of 100%. The MDW level did not change the 2,4,6-TCP degradation rate (μ_TCP) in a typical cycle compared to the single carbon source, and the μ_TCP remained at a high level of 50 mg 2,4,6-TCP/h. Macrogenetic analysis demonstrated that MDW addition promoted the growth of 43 bacterial genera (41.49%) responsible for 2,4,6-TCP degradation and intermediates' metabolism. The key genes for 2,4,6-TCP metabolism (pcpA, chqB, mal-r, pcaI, pcaF, and fadA) were detected in the activated sludge, which were distributed among the 43 genera. To conclude, this study proposes a new carbon source for co-metabolism to treat 2,4,6-TCP-polluted wastewater.

A metagenomic view of how different carbon sources enhance the aniline and simultaneous nitrogen removal capacities in the aniline degradation system

To cross nitrogen removal barrier, carbon sources (sodium succinate (Z1), sodium acetate (Z2) and glucose (Z3)) were applied in aniline degradation reactor to enrich heterotrophic nitrifiers and denitrifiers. The aniline was degraded almost completely and the nitrogen removal performance was improved in three systems. The total nitrogen (TN) removal efficiency of Z2 was the highest. The dominant bacteria were phylum Proteobacteria, class BetaProteobacteria, and genus Thauera (Z1, Z3), Leptothrix (Z2). Different aniline degrading bacteria, heterotrophic nitrifiers and denitrifiers were enriched, and Z2 had more high-abundance communities. Three systems followed the meta-cleavage pathway for the aniline degradation according to the genes annotation. Particularly, the contribution of each genus to nitrogen metabolism and aromatic compounds degradation in the Z2 was more evenly distributed, rather than relying mainly on the contribution of Thauera in Z1 and Z3 so that more functional genes related nitrogen metabolism and aniline degradation were more abundant in Z2.

Coinducible Catabolism of 1-Naphthol via Synergistic Regulation of the Initial Hydroxylase Genes in Sphingobium sp. Strain B2

1-Naphthol, a widely used raw material for organic synthesis, is also a well-known organic pollutant. Due to its high toxicity, 1-naphthol is rarely used by microorganisms as the sole carbon source for growth. In this study, catabolism of 1-naphthol by Sphingobium sp. strain B2 was found to be greatly enhanced by additional supplementation with primary carbon sources (e.g., glucose, maltose, and sucrose), and 1-naphthol was even used as the carbon source for growth when strain B2 cells had been preinduced by both 1-naphthol and glucose. A distinct two-component flavin-dependent monooxygenase, NdcA1A2, was found to be responsible for the initial hydroxylation of 1-naphthol to 1,2-dihydroxynaphthalene, a more toxic compound. Transcriptional levels of ndcA1A2 genes were significantly upregulated when strain B2 cells were cultured with both 1-naphthol and glucose compared to cells cultured with only 1-naphthol or glucose. Two transcriptional regulators, the activator NdcS and the inhibitor NdcR, were found to play key roles in the synergistic regulation of the transcription of the 1-naphthol initial catabolism genes ndcA1A2 IMPORTANCE Cometabolism is a widely observed phenomenon, especially in the field of microbial catabolism of highly toxic xenobiotics. However, the mechanisms of cometabolism are ambiguous, and the roles of the obligately coexisting growth substrates remain largely unknown. In this study, we revealed that the roles of the coexisting primary carbon sources (e.g., glucose) in the enhanced catabolism of the toxic compound 1-naphthol in Sphingobium sp. strain B2 were not solely because they were used as growth substrates to support cell growth but, more importantly, because they acted as coinducers to interact with two transcriptional regulators, the activator NdcS and the inhibitor NdcR, to synergistically regulate the transcription of the 1-naphthol initial catabolism genes ndcA1A2 Our findings provide new insights into the cometabolic mechanism of highly toxic compounds in microorganisms.

Towards a Better Understanding of the Removal of Carbamazepine by Ankistrodesmus braunii: Investigation of Some Key Parameters

Nowadays, water pollution by pharmaceuticals is a major issue that needs an urgent solution, as these compounds, even when found at trace or ultra-trace levels, could have harmful effects on organisms. Carbamazepine (CBZ) is a pharmaceutical product that is detected as a micropollutant in many water resources. Different treatment methods were lately employed for the removal of CBZ, which are often cheap but inefficient or efficient but expensive. Yet, there are limited available studies on the elimination of this molecule by algae despite their well-known highly adaptive abilities. In this study, the biological treatment of CBZ was carried out using the green microalgae, Ankistrodesmus braunii (A. braunii), which has been reported to be particularly resistant to CBZ toxicity in the literature. The respective effects of the culture medium, the initial inoculum, and CBZ concentrations were studied on CBZ removal. Lastly, the mechanism of CBZ elimination by A. braunii was investigated. The presented data clearly demonstrates that the presence of this molecule did not completely repress A. braunii growth or the ability of these algae to remove CBZ; after 60 days of incubation, the highest percentage of CBZ elimination achieved was 87.6%. Elimination was more successful in Bold’s basal medium than in proteose peptone medium. Finally, the removal mechanism was also investigated to provide a better understanding of the transformation mechanism of this molecule. It was shown that the main removal mechanism was the bioaccumulation of CBZ by A. braunii cells, but the biotransformation of the initial CBZ into metabolites was also observed.

Glucose oxidase modified Fenton reactions for in-situ ROS generation and potential application in groundwater remediation

Catalyzed H₂O₂ propagations (CHP) have demonstrated great potential in the remediation of chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons (CAHs) like trichloroethene (TCE) contaminated groundwater. However, the importation of highly unstable H₂O₂ into subsurface environment remains challenging. In this work, the in-situ H₂O₂ generation reaction between glucose oxidase (GOD) and glucose was applied in combination with Fe(II) to form the modified Fenton system (GMFs) and its performance in TCE oxidative degradation was investigated. The influence of reactant concentration as well as environmental factors like temperature and pH on the kinetics of TCE oxidation in GMFs were studied. At optimized conditions, about 78% TCE were removed within 8 h in GMFs, which remained effective over the temperature range of 15-30 °C and pH range of 3.6-6.0 (in acetate buffer). The in-situ H₂O₂ and OH generation capacity of GMFs were further investigated to elucidate their functional mechanism on TCE oxidation. Intermediate and product analysis indicated the near-complete release of chloride ion by TCE oxidation with few organic chlorinated intermediates detected. This work reveals the potential of GMFs for CAHs contaminated groundwater remediation through in-situ generation of reactive oxygen species.

Effects of di-n-butyl phthalate and di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate on pollutant removal and microbial community during wastewater treatment

Due to the wide use of plastic products and the releasability of plasticizer into surrounding environment, the hazards, residues and effects of phthalic acid esters (PAEs) in ecosystems have been paid more and more attention. Little information is available about the effects of PAEs on the normal wastewater treatment, although the distribution of PAEs in soil and other ecosystems is closely related to the discharge of sewage. In this study, the effects of high concentrations of di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) and di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) on pollutant removal and the microbial community during landfill leachate treatment was investigated. After domestication, the activated sludge was used in the co-treatment of landfill leachate and simulated domestic wastewater. We verified that this process reduced the toxicity of landfill leachate. However, high concentrations of added DBP and DEHP were removed first, while the removal of these pollutants from raw landfill leachate was limited. The results of high-throughput sequencing revealed that the bacterial diversity was diminished and the microbial community structure was significantly affected by the addition of DBP and DEHP. The DBP and DEHP samples had 79.05% and 82.25% operational taxonomic units (OTU), respectively, in common with the raw activated sludge. Many genera of PAE-degrading bacteria that had no significant evolutionary relationship were found in the raw activated sludge. And the widespread presence of PAE-degrading bacteria could effectively keep the concentrations of PAEs low during the wastewater treatment.

Exploring the effects of carbon source level on the degradation of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol in the co-metabolism process

External organic sources could make up for the lack of carbon in the treatment of chlorophenol; but the impact on external carbon concentration on the degradation of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (2,4,6-TCP) has rarely been studied. In this study, the effect of carbon addition on the degradation of 2,4,6-TCP was investigated using the lab-scale sequencing batch reactor (SBR). The results indicated that excessive carbon amounts inhibited 2,4,6-TCP degradation in the long-term operation and a typical cycle, while a suitable dosage could increase the removal of 2,4,6-TCP. The application of external carbon rapidly decreased the dissolved oxygen level of the system, resulting in inhibited chlorophenol removal. The concentration of removed 2,4,6-TCP could be increased from 35.49-152.89 mg L^-1 by adjusting the carbon dosage. At the phylum level, Proteobacteria and Acidobacteria phylum bacteria, related to 2,4,6-TCP removal, were dominant when no carbon source was added, while excessive carbon levels resulted in the overgrowth of Saccharibacteria (50.19 %), responsible for carbon metabolism. In co-metabolism systems, chlorophenol-contaminated wastewater can effectively be treated by adjusting the external carbon source.

Degradation of p-chlorocresol by facultative Thauera sp. strain DO

In this work, Thauera sp. DO isolated from sludge and sediment utilized p-chlorocresol and some related compounds as the sole carbon and energy sources under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. The pathways for p-chlorocresol in the isolate under each condition were different. Under the aerobic condition, p-chlorocresol was degraded via two separate pathways. The first was the reductive dehalogenation reaction, in which the substrate was transformed to m-cresol followed by the catechol degradation pathway, and the second aerobic pathway for p-chlorocresol was the methyl oxidation to 4-chlorobenzoate. Under the anaerobic conditions, p-chlorocresol was rapidly dechlorinated in the first step to m-cresol, followed by sevaral steps prior to the complete degradation. The determination of p-chlorocresol degradation in liquid media by whole cells showed that 100% and 85% of the substrate (0.3 mM) were transformed within 12 h under aerobic and anaerobic conditions, respectively, while nearly 100% of this compound was degraded within 6 h using the two-stage anaerobic-aerobic degradation process. These results show a novel method to increase the degradation rates of p-chlorocresol using the anaerobic process followed by the aerobic process.

Elucidation of 2, 4-Dichlorophenol degradation by Bacillus licheniformis strain SL10

2,4-Dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) is a priority pollutant according to US Environmental Protection Agency. Its use in various chemical industries and its presence in the effluent necessitate effective removal studies. The present study focuses on degradation of 2,4-DCP by phenol adapted bacteria Bacillus licheniformis strain SL10 (MTCC 25059) at a relatively faster rate. The organism exhibited tolerance to 150 ppm of 2,4-DCP and showed a linear relationship between the growth and substrate concentration (µ_max 0.022/h) and the inhibitory concentration was 55.74 mg/L. The degradation efficiency of the organism was 74% under optimum conditions but increased to 97% when the growth medium containing nil sodium chloride. The degradation of 2,4-DCP was effected by the action of extracellular cocktail enzyme containing Catechol 2, 3 dioxygenase (C23DO), phenol hydroxylase and Catechol, 1,2 dioxygenase (C12DO). In vitro enzymatic degradation studies exhibit 98% degradation of 50 ppm of 2,4-DCP within 2 h. Analyses of degradation products infer that the chosen organism followed a meta-cleavage pathway while degrading 2,4-DCP. In conclusion, the bacteria Bacillus licheniformis strain SL10 finds potential application in the remediation of 2,4-DCP.

Cometabolic degradation of low-strength coking wastewater and the bacterial community revealed by high-throughput sequencing

Cometabolism technology was employed to degrade low-strength coking wastewater (CWW) in Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR). The bacterial community compositions were monitored by high-throughput sequencing. Cometabolic substrate effectively improved the chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency in glucose-added system (A1) compared to glucose-free system (A0). Meanwhile, A1 exhibited larger biomass, better settlement performance, and higher dehydrogenase activity (DHA). More importantly, high-throughput sequencing revealed that dominant populations in A1 were quite different with A0. Thauera (9.27%), Thermogutta (7.58%), and Defluviimonas (4.6%) began to enrich in A1 after cometabolic substrate supplement. Especially, Thauera, as the most dominant populations in Al, could degrade a wide spectrum of aromatic compounds, which may contribute to the better system performance. This work would provide a novel option to treat low-strength CWW, discern the relationship between bacterial community and CWW quality, and further explore the cometabolic degradation through bacterial community structures.

Hydrolyzed polyacrylamide biodegradation and mechanism in sequencing batch biofilm reactor

An investigation was performed to study the performance of a sequencing batch biofilm reactor (SBBR) to treat hydrolyzed polyacrylamides (HPAMs) and to determine the mechanisms of HPAM biodegradation. The mechanisms for the optimized parameters that significantly improved the degradation efficiency of the HPAMs were investigated by a synergistic effect of the co-metabolism in the sludge and the enzyme activities. The HPAM and TOC removal ratio reached 54.69% and 70.14%. A significant decrease in the total nitrogen concentration was measured. The carbon backbone of the HPAMs could be degraded after the separation of the amide group according to the data analysis. The HPLC results indicated that the HPAMs could be converted to polymer fragments without the generation of the acrylamide monomer intermediate. The results from high-throughput sequencing analysis revealed proteobacterias, bacteroidetes and planctomycetes were the key microorganisms involved in the degradation.

Using co-metabolism to accelerate synthetic starch wastewater degradation and nutrient recovery in photosynthetic bacterial wastewater treatment technology

Starch wastewater is a type of nutrient-rich wastewater that contains numerous macromolecular polysaccharides. Using photosynthetic bacteria (PSB) to treat starch wastewater can reduce pollutants and enhance useful biomass production. However, PSB cannot directly degrade macromolecular polysaccharides, which weakens the starch degradation effect. Therefore, co-metabolism with primary substances was employed in PSB wastewater treatment to promote starch degradation. The results indicated that co-metabolism is a highly effective method in synthetic starch degradation by PSB. When malic acid was used as the optimal primary substrate, the chemical oxygen demand, total sugar, macromolecules removal and biomass yield were considerably higher than when primary substances were not used, respectively. Malic acid was the primary substrate that played a highly important role in starch degradation. It promoted the alpha-amylase activity to 46.8 U and the PSB activity, which induced the degradation of macromolecules. The products in the wastewater were ethanol, acetic acid and propionic acid. Ethanol was the primary product throughout the degradation process. The introduction of co-metabolism with malic acid to treat wastewater can accelerate macromolecules degradation and bioresource production and weaken the acidification effect. This method provides another pathway for bioresource recovery from wastewater. This approach is a sustainable and environmentally friendly wastewater treatment technology.

Biodegradation and interaction of quinoline and glucose in dual substrates system

An indigenous mixed culture of microorganisms, isolated from a full-scale coal gasification wastewater treatment plant, was used in degrading quinoline in presence of glucose as an alternative carbon source. The results showed that biodegradation kinetics of both quinoline and glucose could be described by first-order reaction kinetics model. It was also found that the biodegradation rate of quinoline was accelerated by the presence of glucose, while glucose degradation was inhibited by the presence of quinoline. Both the biomass yield coefficient and specific growth rate were increased with the increasing of the glucose concentrations in the dual substrates system. A sum kinetics model was used to describe the relative effects of the two substrates on their individual uptakes. The interaction parameter values indicated that quinoline exhibits stronger inhibition on glucose degradation. But for glucose, its effect on quinoline utilization was stimulative. Furthermore, the stimulation was positively correlated with the concentration of glucose in the system.

Microbial degradation of acetamiprid by Ochrobactrum sp. D-12 isolated from contaminated soil

Neonicotinoid insecticides are one of the most important commercial insecticides used worldwide. The potential toxicity of the residues present in environment to humans has received considerable attention. In this study, a novel Ochrobactrum sp. strain D-12 capable of using acetamiprid as the sole carbon source as well as energy, nitrogen source for growth was isolated and identified from polluted agricultural soil. Strain D-12 was able to completely degrade acetamiprid with initial concentrations of 0–3000 mg·L⁻¹ within 48 h. Haldane inhibition model was used to fit the special degradation rate at different initial concentrations, and the parameters q_max, K_s and K_i were determined to be 0.6394 (6 h)⁻¹, 50.96 mg·L⁻¹ and 1879 mg·L⁻¹, respectively. The strain was found highly effective in degrading acetamiprid over a wide range of temperatures (25–35°C) and pH (6–8). The effects of co-substrates on the degradation efficiency of acetamiprid were investigated. The results indicated that exogenously supplied glucose and ammonium chloride could slightly enhance the biodegradation efficiency, but even more addition of glucose or ammonium chloride delayed the biodegradation. In addition, one metabolic intermediate identified as N-methyl-(6-chloro-3-pyridyl)methylamine formed during the degradation of acetamiprid mediated by strain D-12 was captured by LC-MS, allowing a degradation pathway for acetamiprid to be proposed. This study suggests the bacterium could be a promising candidate for remediation of environments affected by acetamiprid.

Update on the cometabolism of organic pollutants by bacteria

Each year, tons of various types of molecules pollute our environment, and their elimination is one of the major challenges human kind is facing. Among the strategies to eliminate these pollutants is their biodegradation by microorganisms. However, many pollutants cannot be used efficiently as growth substrates by microorganisms. Biodegradation of such molecules by cometabolism has been reported, which is the ability of a microorganism to biodegrade a pollutant without using it as a growth-substrate (non-growth-substrate), while sustaining its own growth by assimilating a different substrate (growth-substrate). This approach has been used in the field of bioremediation, however, its potential has not been fully exploited yet. This review summarises the work carried out on the cometabolism of important recalcitrant pollutants, and presents strategies that can be used to improve ways of identifying microorganisms that can cometabolise such recalcitrant pollutants.

Degradation of piperazine by Paracoccus sp. TOH isolated from activated sludge

Piperazine is widely used as an intermediate in the manufacture of insecticides, rubber chemicals, corrosion inhibitors, and urethane. In this study, a highly effective piperazine-degrading bacteria strain, TOH, was isolated from the acclimated activated sludge of a pharmaceutical plant. This strain, identified as Paracoccus sp., utilises piperazine as the sole source of carbon, nitrogen and energy for growth. The optimal pH and temperature for the growth of TOH were 8.0 and 30°C, respectively. The effects of co-substrates and heavy metals on the degradation efficiency of piperazine were investigated. The results indicated that exogenously supplied glucose promoted the degradation of piperazine, while the addition of ammonium chloride slightly inhibited piperazine degradation. Metal ions such as Ni(2+) and Cd(2+) inhibited the degradation of piperazine, whereas Mg(2+) increased it. In addition, metabolic intermediates were identified by mass spectrometry, allowing a degradation pathway for piperazine to be proposed for the first time.

Biological removal of pharmaceuticals and personal care products during laboratory soil aquifer treatment simulation with different primary substrate concentrations

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) have been detected in bodies of water worldwide, yet their effects on the environment are not fully understood. Recent toxicity studies suggest that mixtures of PPCPs at low concentrations may be detrimental to exposed organisms, highlighting the need to remove PPCPs from wastewater treatment plant effluent before it is discharged to the environment. In this study, the utility of biofilm-based PPCP removal as a means to prevent environmental PPCP contamination was investigated. The removal of 14 PPCPs, each at an initial concentration of 10 μg/L, was studied in laboratory sand columns inoculated with wastewater treatment plant effluent. The examined PPCPs included biosol, biphenylol, p-chloro-m-cresol, p-chloro-m-xylenol, chlorophene, sodium diclofenac, gabapentin, gemfibrozil, 5-fluorouracil, ibuprofen, ketoprofen, naproxen, triclosan, and valproic acid. Ten of the PPCPs were removed by greater than 95% during column passage, while the four other compounds proved more recalcitrant. The effect of the concentration (either 50 or 1000 μg/L) of an easily degradable primary substrate (acetate) supplied along with the mixture of PPCPs was examined. Most of the tested PPCPs were removed consistently by the biofilms regardless of the concentration of acetate, although the extent of removal for three compounds showed dependence on acetate concentration, and two behaved with no reproducible pattern over time. Biofilm protein measurements indicated that the mixture of PPCPs supplied to columns suppressed biofilm growth, suggesting toxicity of the PPCPs to the biofilm communities. This laboratory-scale experiment suggests that biofilm-based water treatment strategies, such as soil aquifer treatment and slow sand filtration, may be well-suited for the removal of many PPCPs from impacted water.

Bioremediation of 2-chlorophenol containing wastewater by aerobic granules-kinetics and toxicity

2-Chlorophenol (2-CP) degrading aerobic granules were cultivated in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) in presence of glucose. The organic loading rate (OLR) was increased from 6.9 to 9.7 kg COD m(-3)d(-1) (1150-1617 mg L(-1)COD per cycle) during the experiment. The alkalinity (1000 mg L(-1) as CaCO(3)) was maintained throughout the experiment. The specific cell growth rate was found to be 0.013 d(-1). A COD removal efficiency of 94% was achieved after steady state at 8h HRT (hydraulic retention time). FTIR, UV, GC, GC/MS studies confirmed that the biodegradation of 2-CP occurs via chlorocatechol (modified ortho-cleavage) pathway. Biodegradation kinetics followed the Haldane model with kinetic parameters: V(max)=840 mg2-CPgMLVSS(-1)d(-1), K(s)=24.61 mg L(-1), K(i)=315.02 mg L(-1). Abiotic losses of 2-CP due to volatilization and photo degradation by sunlight were less than 3% and the results of genotoxicity showed that the degradation products are eco-friendly.

Biodegradation of polyacrylamide by bacteria isolated from activated sludge and oil-contaminated soil

Polyacrylamide (PAM), a linear water soluble polymeric compound with high molecular weight, is extensively used for oil production in China. Compared with the physico-chemical degradation of PAM, there is no acrylamide monomer, which causes peripheral neuropathy, released in the process of biodegradation. Unfortunately, few microorganisms have been isolated which can degrade PAM. In this study, two PAM-degrading bacterial strains, named HWBI and HWBII, were isolated from the activated sludge and soil in an oil field that had been contaminated by PAM for an extended period. These were subsequently identified as Bacillus cereus and Bacillus flexu, respectively. Both strains grew on a medium composed of 60 mg L(-1) PAM as the sole source of carbon. Although both strains degraded PAM in different rates, after 72 h cultivation more than 70% of the PAM was consumed. This degradation efficiency was much higher than previous studies. Both strains degraded a determinate proportion of PAM when 50-1000 mg L(-1) of the initial PAM was supplied. Glucose with a concentration lower than 200 mg L(-1) can be used as co-metabolism substrate with PAM. The Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectrograms of the cultures before and after PAM degradation were also recorded. The result showed that amido groups of the PAM were picked off by the microorganisms from the main chain of the PAM, and metabolism products other than acrylamide were formed in the degradation.

Comparative studies on the degradation of three aromatic compounds by Pseudomonas sp. and Staphylococcus xylosus

Biological methods of wastewater treatment have been proved very effective for bioremediation of polluted sites. In this study, the degrading abilities of two bacteria Pseudomonas sp. and Staphylococcus xylosus, towards 1,2-dichlorobenzene (1,2-DCB), 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) and 4-Cl-m-cresol, are compared. Culture history and the presence of glucose as carbon source have been used for the optimization of cell's performance. 1,2-DCB showed the higher values of effective concentration (EC(50)), 1.04 and 0.84 mM with Pseudomonas sp. and S. xylosus respectively, whereas no substrate-inhibition appeared, in contrary to 4-Cl-m-cresol, that was more persistent in biodegradation by both bacteria. 2,4-DCP was less assimilated compared to 1,2-DCB, whereas bacterial specificity was higher, as it was found by the estimation of the half-saturation constant of 0.36 and 0.26 mM with Pseudomonas sp. and S. xylosus, respectively.