Kinetics of the microbial reductive dechlorination of pentachloroaniline

Ortho and para oxydehalogenation of dihalophenols catalyzed by the monooxygenase TcpA and NAD(P)H:FAD reductase Fre

Dihalophenols such as dichlorophenols (DCPs) are important industrial chemical intermediates, but also persistent pollutants in the environment. Oxidative dehalogenation by microbes is an efficient biological method to degrade halophenols, but the mechanism is unclear yet. Cupriavidus nantongensis X1^T was a type strain of genus Cupriavidus, and could degrade 2,4-dichlorophenol of 50 mg/L within 12 h. The degradation rate constant was approximately 84 fold greater than that by Bacillus endophyticus CP1R43, a well-studied 2,4-DCP-degrading bacterial strain. The genes encoding 2,4,6-trichlorophenol monooxygenase (TcpA) and NAD(P)H:FAD reductase (Fre) from strain X1^T were cloned and expressed. The expressed TcpA Fre were purified. The molecular docking of TcpA with DCPs and point mutation experiments showed that the degradation activity of TcpA was associated with the length of the hydrogen bond between the substrates and the amino acids in the active pocket. DCPs were degraded via a stepwise oxidative dechlorination in a positive relationship between the oxidation ability and the electron-withdrawing potential of the p-position group. In addition, TcpA has dual dehalogenation and denitration functions. The results demonstrate that either strain X1^T or TcpA and Fre can effectively dehalogenate dihalophenols, which can be useful for the treatment of dihalophenols in wastewaters and remediation of DCP-contaminated environments.

Bioelectrochemically assisted anaerobic digestion system for biogas upgrading and enhanced methane production

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of biofilm and external voltage on the performance and microbial community composition of batch-fed, combined anaerobic digestion-bioelectrochemical cell (AD-BEC) systems under different operational conditions. A dextrin/peptone mixture was fed at a range of organic loading rates (0.34 to 1.37g COD/L-d). The hybrid system with both suspended biomass and biofilm without any external potential application achieved a substantially higher initial soluble COD consumption (53.7±2.3% vs. 39.7±3.7) and methane (CH₄) production (331 vs. 225mL) within one day of feeding than the conventional AD system (suspended biomass only). Compared to the conventional AD system, the hybrid systems had higher resilience to shock organic loadings. A range of external potential (0.5 to 2.0V vs. Ag/AgCl) was applied to AD-BEC reactors, developed with two different start-up procedures. A potential of 2.0V resulted in water electrolysis leading to a higher CH₄ production rate (105 vs. 84mL/L-d) and biogas CH₄ content (88.5±1.4 vs. 64.5±1.9%) in the AD-BEC reactor (closed vs. open circuit condition, respectively). Application of external potential enriched putative exoelectrogens at the anode biofilm and hydrogenotrophic methanogens at the cathode biofilm, which may have contributed to the observed enhanced CH₄ production in the AD-BEC system. A phylotype related to Methanobacterium formicicum, a hydrogenotrophic methanogen, dominated the archaeal community in the AD-BEC cathode biofilm.

Anaerobic Dehalogenation of Chloroanilines by Dehalococcoides mccartyi Strain CBDB1 and Dehalobacter Strain 14DCB1 via Different Pathways as Related to Molecular Electronic Structure

Dehalococcoides mccartyi strain CBDB1 and Dehalobacter strain 14DCB1 are organohalide-respiring microbes of the phyla Chloroflexi and Firmicutes, respectively. Here, we report the transformation of chloroanilines by these two bacterial strains via dissimilar dehalogenation pathways and discuss the underlying mechanism with quantum chemically calculated net atomic charges of the substrate Cl, H, and C atoms. Strain CBDB1 preferentially removed Cl doubly flanked by two Cl or by one Cl and NH₂, whereas strain 14DCB1 preferentially dechlorinated Cl that has an ortho H. For the CBDB1-mediated dechlorination, comparative analysis with Hirshfeld charges shows that the least-negative Cl discriminates active from nonactive substrates in 14 out of 15 cases and may represent the preferred site of primary attack through cob(I)alamin. For the latter trend, three of seven active substrates provide strong evidence, with partial support from three of the remaining four substrates. Regarding strain 14DCB1, the most positive carbon-attached H atom discriminates active from nonactive chloroanilines in again 14 out of 15 cases. Here, regioselectivity is governed for 10 of the 11 active substrates by the most positive H attached to the highest-charge (most positive or least negative) aromatic C carrying the Cl to be removed. These findings suggest the aromatic ring H as primary site of attack through the supernucleophile Co(I), converting an initial H bond to a full electron transfer as start of the reductive dehalogenation. For both mechanisms, one- and two-electron transfer to Cl (strain CBDB1) or H (strain 14DCB1) are compatible with the presently available data. Computational chemistry research into reaction intermediates and pathways may further aid in understanding the bacterial reductive dehalogenation at the molecular level.

Succession of microbial community and enhanced mechanism of a ZVI-based anaerobic granular sludge process treating chloronitrobenzenes wastewater

The combined zero-valent iron (ZVI) and upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) process is established for the treatment of chloronitrobenzenes (ClNBs) wastewater, and the succession of microbial community and its enhanced mechanism are investigated in the study. Results showed that compared with the control UASB (R1), the stable COD removal, ClNBs transformation, and dechlorination occurred in the combined system (R2) when operated at influent COD and 3,4-Dichloronitrobenzene (3,4-DClNB) loading rates of 4200-7700 g m(-3) d(-1) and 6.0-70.0 g m(-3) d(-1), and R2 had the better shock resistance and buffering capacity for the anaerobic acidification. The dechlorination for the intermediate products of p-chloroanaline (p-ClAn) to analine (AN) occurred in R2 reactor after 45 days, whereas it did not occur in R1 after a long-term operation. The novel ZVI-based anaerobic granular sludge (ZVI-AGS) was successfully developed in the combined system, and higher microbial activities including ClNB transformation and H2/CH4 production were achieved simultaneously. The dominant bacteria were closely related to the groups of Megasphaera, Chloroflexi, and Clostridium, and the majority of archaea were correlated with the groups of Methanosarcinalesarchaeon, Methanosaetaconcilii, and Methanothrixsoehngenii, which are capable of reductively dechlorinating PCB, HCB, and TCE in anaerobic niche and EPS secretion.

Influence of quaternary ammonium compounds on the microbial reductive dechlorination of pentachloroaniline

The inhibitory effect of two widely used quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs)--alkyl benzyl dimethyl (AB) and hexadecyl trimethyl (HD) ammonium chloride--on fermentation, methanogenesis and pentachloroaniline (PCA) dechlorination was assessed using a mixed, methanogenic, PCA-dechlorinating culture amended with AB or HD at a concentration range from 5 to 70 μM. PCA dechlorination was inhibited at 5 μM AB and was completely inhibited at 25 or 5 μM by AB or HD, respectively. However, the PCA dechlorination pathway was the same in both the QACs-free and QACs-amended culture series. Fermentation (acidogenesis) and methanogenesis were inhibited by both AB and HD at and above 25 μM but to a lesser degree than PCA dechlorination. Overall, HD resulted in a more severe inhibition of the mixed culture than AB. Adsorption of both QACs to the mixed culture biomass followed the Freundlich isotherm model. The adsorption affinity of HD for the mixed culture biomass was significantly higher than that of AB, which may be related to the observed higher inhibitory effects of HD compared to AB. Both AB and HD were not degraded in the mixed, dechlorinating culture used in this study.

Survey of organochlorine pesticides in horticultural soils and there grown Cucurbitaceae

Organochlorine pesticides (OCP) are still found in food and feed crops although they were applied about 40 years ago. There is a considerable knowledge gap concerning the extent of soil and crop contamination by OCP. We performed two surveys in 2002 and 2005 to assess the loads of OCP in 41 Swiss horticultural fields under organic and conventional production and corresponding Cucurbitaceae fruits (cucumbers, zucchini, and pumpkin), whereas these fields stay for intensive agricultural production in Europe. In addition, soil organic carbon, texture, and pH were measured also. OCP were detected in 27 out of 41 fields (65.9%). The farming practice had no influence on the contamination or level of OCP in soil. The sum of OCP-loads per field ranged from <0.01 to 1.3mgkg(-1) dry soil and pentachloroaniline (PCA, 2.1mgkg(-1)), p,p'-DDT (0.5mgkg(-1)), and p,p'-DDE and dieldrin (0.4mgkg(-1)) were the most detected pesticides over all investigated soils. PCA (up to 0.02mgkg(-1)), dieldrin (up to 0.04mgkg(-1)), alpha-chlordane and cis-heptachloroepoxide (<0.01mgkg(-1)) were detected in five cucumber samples out of 41 Cucurbitaceae samples. Statistical analysis revealed no significant influence of the measured soil properties on the OCP-load of soils and cucumbers, although there is evidence that the bioavailability of OCP in soils to Cucurbitaceae plants was influenced by the sorption of the compounds to soil organic matter and by the polarity of the pesticide molecules. It is suggested, that OCP contamination is widespread in all European regions with intensive plant production and associated pesticide use, and deserves more attention with respect to save food production.

Effect of nitrate reduction on the microbial reductive transformation of pentachloronitrobenzene

The effect of nitrate reduction onthe reductive biotransformation of pentachloronitrobenzene (PCNB), an organochlorine fungicide, was assessed with a mixed fermentative/methanogenic culture enriched from a contaminated estuarine sediment. Glucose and methanol served asthe electron and carbon source. PCNB at an initial concentration of 3 microM was transformed to pentachloroaniline (PCA) simultaneously with nitrate reduction in cultures amended with 10 to 200 mg N/L nitrate. PCA sequentially dechlorinated to dichlorinated anilines (mainly 2,5-DCA) in the nitrate-free control culture, and the culture which was amended with 10 mg N/L nitrate. PCA partially dechlorinated to tetrachloroanilines (TeCAs), and methanogenesis was completely inhibited in the cultures amended with 50-200 mg N/L nitrate, whereas fermentation was only inhibited in the cultures amended with 200 mg N/L nitrate. The impact of nitrate reduction on the sequential dechlorination of PCA was attributed to the production of nitric oxide (NO) and nitrous oxide (N2O). Partial nitrate reduction to ammonia was observed in the cultures amended with 50, 100, or 200 mg N/L nitrate and PCNB (3 microM). Therefore, nitrate concentrations at or above 50 mg N/L lead to accumulation of toxic compounds such as highly chlorinated anilines (i.e., PCA, TeCAs) and denitrification intermediates (i.e., NO, N2O). These findings have significant environmental implications in terms of the fate and transformation of PCNB in subsurface environments where nitrate is present.

Temperature and pH effect on the microbial reductive transformation of pentachloronitrobenzene

The effect of pH and temperature on the microbial reductive transformation of pentachloronitrobenzene (PCNB), an organochlorine fungicide, was investigated with a mixed fermentative/methanogenic culture developed from a contaminated estuarine sediment. Culture series were incubated at a temperature range from 4 to 45 degrees C at pH 6.9+/-0.1 and at a pH range from 2.7+/-0.1 to 7.6+/-0.1 at 22 degrees C. Significant differences were observed in terms of biotransformation rate, extent, and products as a function of temperature. Incubation at different pH values resulted in differences in biotransformation rate and extent, but not in terms of products formed. PCNB (3 microM) was transformed to pentachloroaniline (PCA) in all culture series. However, sequential dechlorination of PCA was observed only at a temperature range from 4 to 35 degrees C and at a pH range from 6.2+/-0.1 to 7.6+/-0.1. The highest PCA dechlorination rate was observed at 22 degrees C and at pH 7.6+/-0.1. The effect of temperature on the PCA dechlorination rate was modeled using an Arrhenius relationship, which accounts for both enzyme activation and deactivation. The dechlorination of PCA and chlorinated aniline intermediates was simulated using a branched-chain Michaelis-Menten model, and kinetic constants were determined.

Effects of the nonionic surfactant tween 80 on microbial reductive dechlorination of chlorinated ethenes

Recent field studies have indicated synergistic effects of coupling microbial reductive dechlorination with physicochemical remediation (e.g., surfactant flushing) of dense nonaqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) source zones. This study explored chlorinated ethene (e.g., tetrachloroethene [PCE]) dechlorination in the presence of 50-5000 mg/L Tween 80, a nonionic surfactant employed in source zone remediation. Tween 80 did not inhibit dechlorination by four pure PCE-to-cis-1,2-dichloroethene (cis-DCE) or PCE-to-trichloroethene (TCE) dechlorinating cultures. In contrast, cis-DCE-dechlorinating Dehalococcoides isolates (strain BAV1 and strain FL2) failed to dechlorinate in the presence of Tween 80. Bio-Dechlor INOCULUM (BDI), a PCE-to-ethene dechlorinating consortium, produced cis-DCE in the presence of Tween 80, further suggesting that Tween 80 inhibits dechlorination by Dehalococcoides organisms. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis applied to BDI revealed that the number of Dehalococcoides cells decayed exponentially (R(2) = 0.85) according to the Chick-Watson disinfection model (pseudo first-order decay rate of 0.13+/-0.02 day(-1)) from an initial value of 6.6 +/-1.5 x 10(8) to 1.3+/-0.8 x 10(5) per mL of culture after 58 days of exposure to 250 mg/L Tween 80. Although Tween 80 exposure prevented ethene formation and reduced Dehalococcoides cell numbers, Dehalococcoides organisms remained viable, and dechlorination activity pist cis-DCE was recovered following the removal of Tween 80. These findings suggest that sequential Tween 80 flushing followed by microbial reductive dechlorination is a promising strategy for remediation of chlorinated ethene-impacted source zones.