C and Cl isotope fractionation of 1,2-dichloroethane displays unique δ¹³C/δ³⁷Cl patterns for pathway identification and reveals surprising C-Cl bond involvement in microbial oxidation

Dual C-Cl isotope fractionation offers potential to assess biodegradation of 1,2-dichloropropane and 1,2,3-trichloropropane by Dehalogenimonas cultures

1,2-dichloropropane (1,2-DCP) and 1,2,3-trichloropropane (1,2,3-TCP) are hazardous chemicals frequently detected in groundwater near agricultural zones due to their historical use in chlorinated fumigant formulations. In this study, we show that the organohalide-respiring bacterium Dehalogenimonas alkenigignens strain BRE15 M can grow during the dihaloelimination of 1,2-DCP and 1,2,3-TCP to propene and allyl chloride, respectively. Our work also provides the first application of dual isotope approach to investigate the anaerobic reductive dechlorination of 1,2-DCP and 1,2,3-TCP. Stable carbon and chlorine isotope fractionation values for 1,2-DCP (ƐC = -13.6 ± 1.4 ‰ and ƐCl = -27.4 ± 5.2 ‰) and 1,2,3-TCP (ƐC = -3.8 ± 0.6 ‰ and ƐCl = -0.8 ± 0.5 ‰) were obtained resulting in distinct dual isotope slopes (Λ12DCP = 0.5 ± 0.1, Λ123TCP = 4 ± 2). However direct comparison of ΛC-Cl among different substrates is not possible and investigation of the C and Cl apparent kinetic isotope effects lead to the hypothesis that concerted dichloroelimination mechanism is more likely for both compounds. In fact, whole cell activity assays using cells suspensions of the Dehalogenimonas-containing culture grown with 1,2-DCP and methyl viologen as electron donor suggest that the same set of reductive dehalogenases was involved in the transformation of 1,2-DCP and 1,2,3-TCP. This study opens the door to the application of isotope techniques for evaluating biodegradation of 1,2-DCP and 1,2,3-TCP, which often co-occur in groundwaters near agricultural fields.

A Novel Multi-ion Evaluation Scheme to Determine Stable Chlorine Isotope Ratios (37Cl/35Cl) of Chlordecone by LC-QTOF

Organochlorinated pesticides are highly persistent organic pollutants having important adverse effects in the environment. To study their fate, compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) may be used to investigate their degradation pathways and mechanisms but is currently limited to 13C isotope ratios. The assessment of 37Cl isotope ratios from mass spectra is complicated by the large number of isotopologues of polychlorinated compounds. For method development, chlordecone (C10Cl10O2H2; hydrate form), an organochlorine insecticide that led to severe contamination of soils and aquatic ecosystems of the French West Indies, was taken as a model analyte. Chlorine isotope analysis of chlordecone hydrate was evaluated using high-resolution liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF-MS), enabling smooth ionization to detect the molecular ion. First, a new evaluation scheme is presented to correct for multiple isotope presence in polychlorinated compounds. The scheme is based on probability calculations of the most frequent isotopologues, distributions by binomial probability functions, and corrections for the presence of nonchlorine heavy isotopes. Second, mobile-phase modifiers, ionization energy (sampling cone tension) and scan time were optimized for accurate chlorine isotope ratios. Chlordecone standard samples were measured up to 10-fold and bracketed with a second chlordecone external standard. δ37Cl values were obtained after conversion to the SMOC scale by a two-point calibration. The robustness of the analysis method and evaluation scheme were tested and gave satisfactory results with standard errors (σm) of ±0.34‰ for precision and ±0.89‰ for long-term accuracy of chlorine isotope ratios of chlordecone hydrate. This work opens perspectives for applications of the C-Cl CSIA approach to investigate the fate of highly toxic and low reactive polychlorinated compounds in the environment.

Creating an efficient 1,2-dichloroethane-mineralizing bacterium by a combination of pathway engineering and promoter engineering

Currently, 1,2-dichloroethane (DCA) is frequently detected in groundwater and has been listed as a potential human carcinogen by the U.S. EPA. Owing to its toxicity and recalcitrant nature, inefficient DCA mineralization has become a bottleneck of DCA bioremediation. In this study, the first engineered DCA-mineralizing strain KTU-P8DCA was constructed by functional assembly of DCA degradation pathway and enhancing pathway expression with a strong promoter P8 in the biosafety strain Pseudomonas putida KT2440. Strain KTU-P8DCA can metabolize DCA to produce CO₂ and utilize DCA as the sole carbon source for cell growth by quantifying ¹³C stable isotope ratios in collected CO₂ and in lyophilized cells. Strain KTU-P8DCA exhibited superior tolerance to high concentrations of DCA. Excellent genetic stability was also observed in continuous passage culture. Therefore, strain KTU-P8DCA has enormous potential for use in bioremediation of sites heavily contaminated with DCA. In the future, our strategy for pathway construction and optimization is expected to be developed as a standard pipeline for creating a wide variety of new contaminants-mineralizing microorganisms. The present study also highlights the power of synthetic biology in creating novel degraders for environmental remediation.

Mechanistic characterization of anaerobic microbial degradation of BTBPE in coastal wetland soils: Implication by compound-specific stable isotope analysis

As a novel brominate flame retardants, 1,2-bis(2,4,6-tribromophenoxy)ethane (BTBPE) has been extensively used in various consumer products, and frequently detected in various environmental matrices. However, the microbial degradation of BTBPE remains unclear in the environment. This study comprehensively investigated the anaerobic microbial degradation of BTBPE and therein stable carbon isotope effect in the wetland soils. BTBPE degradation followed the pseudo-first-order kinetic, with degradation rate of 0.0085 ± 0.0008 day^-1. Based on identification of degradation products, stepwise reductive debromination was the main transformation pathway of BTBPE, and tended to keep the stable of 2,4,6-tribromophenoxy group during the microbial degradation. The pronounced carbon isotope fractionation was observed for BTBPE microbial degradation, and carbon isotope enrichment factor (ε_C) was determined to be -4.81 ± 0.37‰, indicating cleavage of C-Br bond as the rate-limiting step. Compared to previously reported isotope effects, carbon apparent kinetic isotope effect (AKIE_C = 1.072 ± 0.004) suggested that the nucleophilic substitution (S_N2 reaction) was the potential reaction mechanism for reductive debromination of BTBPE in the anaerobic microbial degradation. These findings demonstrated that BTBPE could be degraded by the anaerobic microbes in wetland soils, and the compound-specific stable isotope analysis was a robust method to discover the underlying reaction mechanisms.

Biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons based pollutants in contaminated soil by exogenous effective microorganisms and indigenous microbiome

Microbial remediation is an eco-friendly and promising approach for the restoration of sites contaminated by petroleum hydrocarbons (PHCs). The degradation of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs), semi volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of the soil samples collected from a petrochemical site by indigenous microbiome and exogenous microbes (Saccharomyces cerevisiae ATCC 204508/S288c, Candida utilis AS2.281, Rhodotorula benthica CBS9124, Lactobacillus plantarum S1L6, Bacillus thuringiensis GDMCC1.817) was evaluated. Community structure and function of soil microbiome and the mechanism involved in degradation were also revealed. After bioremediation for two weeks, the concentration of TPHs in soil samples was reduced from 17,800 to 13,100 mg/kg. The biodegradation efficiencies of naphthalene, benzo[a]anthracene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, benzo[a]pyrene, indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene, dibenzo[a,h]anthracene, 1,2,3-trichloropropane, 1,2-dichloropropane, ethylbenzene and benzene in soil samples with the addition of S. cerevisiae were 38.0%, 35.7%, 36.2%, 40.4%, 33.6%, 36.2%, 12.0%, 43.9%, 43.3% and 43.0%, respectively. The microbial diversity and community structure were improved during the biodegradation process. S. cerevisiae supplemented soil samples exhibited the highest relative abundance of the genus Acinetobacter for bacteria and Saccharomyces for yeast. The findings offer insight into the correlation between microbes and the degradation of PHC-based pollutants during the bioremediation process.

Integrated anaerobic-aerobic biodegradation of mixed chlorinated solvents by electrolysis coupled with groundwater circulation in a simulated aquifer

Chlorinated solvents are widespread subsurface contaminants that are often present as complex mixtures. Complete biodegradation of mixed chlorinated solvents remains challenging because the optimal redox conditions for biodegradation of different chlorinated solvents differ significantly. In this study, anaerobic and aerobic conditions were integrated by electrolysis coupled with groundwater circulation for biodegradation of a mixture of chloroform (CF, 8.25 mg/L), 1,2-dichloroethane (DCA, 7.01 mg/L), and trichloroethylene (TCE, 4.56 mg/L). A two-dimensional tank was filled with field sandy and silty-clayed sediments to simulate aquifer conditions, a pair of electrodes was installed between an injection well and abstraction well, and groundwater circulation transported cathodic H₂ and anodic O₂ to produce multiple redox conditions. Microbial community analysis demonstrated that the system constructed a habitat suitable for the co-existence of aerobic and anaerobic microbes. After 50 days of treatment, 93.1%, 100%, and 87.3% of CF, 1,2-DCA, and TCE were removed without observed intermediates, respectively. Combined with compound specific isotope analysis, the degradation of 1,2-DCA and CF was mainly attributed to aerobic oxidation and reductive dechlorination, respectively, and TCE was removed by both aerobic and anaerobic biodegradation. Our findings provide a new and efficient strategy for in situ bioremediation of groundwater contaminated by mixed chlorinated solvents.

Dual C-Br Isotope Fractionation Indicates Distinct Reductive Dehalogenation Mechanisms of 1,2-Dibromoethane in Dehalococcoides- and Dehalogenimonas-Containing Cultures

Brominated organic compounds such as 1,2-dibromoethane (1,2-DBA) are highly toxic groundwater contaminants. Multi-element compound-specific isotope analysis bears the potential to elucidate the biodegradation pathways of 1,2-DBA in the environment, which is crucial information to assess its fate in contaminated sites. This study investigates for the first time dual C-Br isotope fractionation during in vivo biodegradation of 1,2-DBA by two anaerobic enrichment cultures containing organohalide-respiring bacteria (i.e., either Dehalococcoides or Dehalogenimonas). Different ε_bulk^C values (-1.8 ± 0.2 and -19.2 ± 3.5‰, respectively) were obtained, whereas their respective ε_bulk^Br values were lower and similar to each other (-1.22 ± 0.08 and -1.2 ± 0.5‰), leading to distinctly different trends (Λ_C-Br = Δδ¹³C/Δδ⁸¹Br ≈ ε_bulk^C/ε_bulk^Br) in a dual C-Br isotope plot (1.4 ± 0.2 and 12 ± 4, respectively). These results suggest the occurrence of different underlying reaction mechanisms during enzymatic 1,2-DBA transformation, that is, concerted dihaloelimination and nucleophilic substitution (S_N2-reaction). The strongly pathway-dependent Λ_C-Br values illustrate the potential of this approach to elucidate the reaction mechanism of 1,2-DBA in the field and to select appropriate ε_bulk^C values for quantification of biodegradation. The results of this study provide valuable information for future biodegradation studies of 1,2-DBA in contaminated sites.

Exploring Mechanisms of Biotic Chlorinated Alkane Reduction: Evidence of Nucleophilic Substitution (SN2) with Vitamin B12

Chlorinated alkanes are notorious groundwater contaminants. Their natural reductive dechlorination by microorganisms involves reductive dehalogenases (RDases) containing cobamide as a cofactor. However, underlying mechanisms of reductive dehalogenation have remained uncertain. Here, observed products, radical trap experiments, UV-vis, and mass spectra demonstrate that (i) reduction by cobalamin (vitamin B₁₂) involved chloroalkyl-cobalamin complexes (ii) whose formation involved a second-order nucleophilic substitution (S_N2). Dual element isotope analysis subsequently linked insights from our model system to microbial reductive dehalogenation. Identical observed isotope effects in reduction of trichloromethane by Dehalobacter CF and cobalamin (Dehalobacter CF, ε_C = -27.9 ± 1.7‰; ε_Cl = -4.2 ± 0.‰; λ = 6.6 ± 0.1; cobalamin, ε_C = -26.0 ± 0.9‰; ε_Cl = -4.0 ± 0.2‰; λ = 6.5 ± 0.2) indicated the same underlying mechanism, as did identical isotope effects in the reduction of 1,2-dichloroethane by Dehalococcoides and cobalamin (Dehalococcoides, ε_C = -33.0 ± 0.4‰; ε_Cl = -5.1 ± 0.1‰; λ = 6.5 ± 0.2; cobalamin, ε_C = -32.8 ± 1.7‰; ε_Cl = -5.1 ± 0.2‰; λ = 6.4 ± 0.2). In contrast, a different, non-S_N2 reaction was evidenced by different isotope effects in reaction of 1,2-dichloroethane with Dehalogenimonas (ε_C = -23.0 ± 2.0‰; ε_Cl = -12.0 ± 0.8‰; λ = 1.9 ± 0.02) illustrating a diversity of biochemical reaction mechanisms manifested even within the same class of enzymes (RDases). This study resolves open questions in our understanding of bacterial reductive dehalogenation and, thereby, provides important information on the biochemistry of bioremediation.

Application of dual carbon-bromine stable isotope analysis to characterize anaerobic micro-degradation mechanisms of PBDEs in wetland bottom-water

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), one kind of persistent organic pollutants, were widely detected in coastal wetlands. Microbial reductive debromination is one of the most important attenuation processes for PBDEs in anaerobic environment, whereas the underlying reaction mechanisms remain elusive. Dual-element stable isotope analysis was recently recognized to distinguish different reaction mechanism for degradation of organic pollutants. In this study, the dual carbon-bromine isotope effects associated with the anaerobic microbial degradation were first investigated to characterize the reaction mechanisms for BDE-47 and BDE-153. Presence of lower brominated congeners indicated stepwise debromination as the main degradation pathway, with the preferential removal of bromine in para position > meta/ortho position. The pronounced isotope fractionation was observed for both carbon and bromine, with similar carbon (ε_C) and bromine isotope enrichment factor (ε_Br) between BDE-47 (ε_C = -5.98‰, ε_Br = -2.44‰) and BDE-153 (ε_C = -5.57‰, ε_Br = -2.06‰) during the microbial degradation. Compared to ε_C and ε_Br, the correlation of carbon and isotope effects (Λ_C/Br = Δδ⁸¹Br/Δδ¹³C) was almost the same between BDE-47 (0.436) and BDE-153 (0.435), indicating the similar reaction mechanism. The calculated carbon and bromine apparent kinetic isotope effects (AKIE_C and AKIE_Br) were 1.0773 and 1.0098 for BDE-47 and 1.0716 and 1.0125 for BDE-153, within range reported for degradation of halogenated compounds following nucleophilic substitution. Combination analysis of degradation products, Λ_C/Br and AKIE, all the results pointed to that the anaerobic reductive debromination of BDE-47 and BDE-153 followed the nucleophilic aromatic substitution, with the addition of cofactor to the benzene ring concomitant with dissociation of carbon-bromine bond via the inner-sphere electron transfer, and the cleavage of C-Br bond was the rate-determining step. This study contributed to the development of dual carbon-bromine isotope analysis as a robust approach to probe the fate of PBDEs in contaminated sites.

Optimization of compound-specific chlorine stable isotope analysis of chloroform using the Taguchi design of experiments

RATIONALE

Chloroform, a probable human carcinogen, is commonly detected in various concentration levels in many surface water and groundwater sources. Compound-specific chlorine stable isotope analysis (Cl-CSIA) is significant in investigating the fate of chlorinated contaminants in the environment. Analytical conditions should, however, be thoroughly examined for any isotopic fractionation. In this study, we simultaneously optimize three analytical parameters for a robust online Cl-CSIA of chloroform using the Taguchi design of experiments.

METHODS

For Cl-CSIA, a purge-and-trap autosampler coupled to a gas chromatograph in tandem with a quadrupole mass spectrometer, with electron ionization in selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode, was used. Using the Taguchi method, the dominant parameter affecting the results of Cl-CSIA for chloroform was identified through concurrent investigation of the signal-to-noise ratios (S/N) of three parameters, each at three levels: purging time (5, 10, 15 min), transfer time (80, 120, 160 s), and dwell time (20, 60, 100 ms). Moreover, the optimum combination of the levels was identified.

RESULTS

The purging time, with a maximum S/N, resulted in the highest influence on the isotope ratios determined. It was further refined through additional experiments to sufficiently extract chloroform from the aqueous phase. Accordingly, 8 min of purging time, 120 s transfer time and 100 ms dwell time were the optimum conditions for Cl-CSIA of chloroform. Post-optimization, a precision of ±0.28 ‰ was achieved for 8.4 nmol of chloroform (equivalent to 0.89 μg or approx. 25 nmol Cl-mass on column).

CONCLUSIONS

A simple online method for Cl-CSIA of chloroform was optimized with the Taguchi design of experiments. The Taguchi method was very useful for the optimization of the analytical conditions. However, the purging conditions should be fine-tuned and selected so that sufficient extraction of a target compound is confirmed to acquire a stable and higher precision of the method.

Electron competition and electron selectivity in abiotic, biotic, and coupled systems for dechlorinating chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons in groundwater: A review

Chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons (CAHs) have been frequently detected in aquifers in recent years. Owing to the bioaccumulation and toxicity of CAHs, it is essential to explore high-efficiency technologies for their complete dechlorination in groundwater. At present, the most widely used abiotic and biotic remediation technologies are based on zero-valent iron (ZVI) and functional anaerobic bacteria (FAB), respectively. However, the main obstacles to the full potential of both technologies in the field include their lowered efficiencies and increased economic costs due to the co-existence of a variety of natural electron acceptors in the environment, such as dissolved oxygen (DO), nitrate (NO₃^-), sulfate (SO₄^2-), ferric iron (Fe (III)), bicarbonate (HCO₃^-), and even water, which compete for electrons with the target contaminants. Therefore, a clear understanding of the mechanisms governing electron competition and electron selectivity is significant for the accurate evaluation of the effectiveness of both technologies under natural hydrochemical conditions. We collected data from both abiotic and biotic CAH-remediation systems, summarized the dechlorination and undesired reactions in groundwater, discussed the characterization methods and general principles of electron competition, and described strategies to improve electron selectivity in both systems. Furthermore, we reviewed the emerging ZVI-FAB coupled system, which integrates abiotic and biotic processes to enhance dechlorination performance and electron utilization efficiency. Lastly, we propose future research needs to quantitatively understand the electron competition in abiotic, biotic, and coupled systems in more detail and to promote improved electron selectivity in groundwater remediation.

Tracking chlorinated contaminants in the subsurface using compound-specific chlorine isotope analysis: A review of principles, current challenges and applications

Many chlorinated hydrocarbons have gained notoriety as persistent organic pollutants in the environment. Engineered and natural remediation efforts require a monitoring tool to track the progress of degradation processes. Compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) is a robust method to evaluate the origin and fate of contaminants in the environment and does not rely on concentration measurements. While carbon CSIA has established itself in the routine assessment of contaminated sites, studies incorporating chlorine isotopes have only recently become more common. Although some aspects of chlorine isotope analysis are more challenging than carbon isotope analysis, having additional isotopic data yields valuable information for contaminated site management. This review provides an overview of chlorine isotope fractionation of chlorinated contaminants in the subsurface by different processes and presents analytical techniques and unresolved challenges in chlorine isotope analysis. A summary of successful field applications illustrates the potential of using chlorine isotope data. Finally, approaches in modelling chlorine isotope fractionation due to degradation, diffusion, and sorption processes are discussed.

Variable carbon and chlorine isotope fractionation in TCE co-metabolic oxidation

Identifying co-metabolic TCE oxidation in polluted groundwater is challenging due to lack of indicative by-products. This challenge may theoretically be resolved if the oxidation process can be characterized by a distinct dual isotope enrichment. In this work, we aimed to explore the carbon and chlorine isotope effects associated with TCE oxidation by a variety of oxygenases. These included pure strains and enrichment cultures of methane, toluene and ammonia oxidizers, as well as experiments with crude extracts. Isotope effects determined for TCE oxidation by toluene and ammonia oxidizers were mostly in line with expected values for epoxidation mechanism (ϵ¹³C -11.0 ± 0.7 to -24.8 ± 0.2‰ and ϵ³⁷Cl +0.9 ± 0.5 to +1.0 ± 0.4‰), whereas, the methanotrophs resulted in distinctively different isotope effects (ϵ¹³C -2.4 ± 0.4 to -3.4 ± 0.8‰ and ϵ³⁷Cl -1.8 ± 0.2 to -2.9 ± 0.9‰). It is suggested that in TCE oxidation by methanotrophs, substrate binding rather than bond cleavage is rate limiting, leading to this unexpected isotope effect. On the environmental level, our results imply that the oxidative process can be differentiated if catalyzed by toluene and ammonia oxidizers or by methanotrophs. Additionally, the oxidative process can be distinguished from the reductive one. However, using dual isotope analysis in the field may result in an under-estimation of the overall co-metabolic process if methanotrophs are to be excluded due to low isotope effects.

Multi-element (C, H, Cl, Br) stable isotope fractionation as a tool to investigate transformation processes for halogenated hydrocarbons

Compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) is a powerful tool to evaluate transformation processes of halogenated compounds. Many halogenated hydrocarbons allow for multiple stable isotopic systems (C, H, Cl, Br) to be measured for a single compound. This has led to a large body of literature describing abiotic and biotic transformation pathways and reaction mechanisms for contaminants such as chlorinated alkenes and alkanes as well as brominated hydrocarbons. Here, the current literature is reviewed and a new compilation of Λ values for multi-isotopic systems for halogenated hydrocarbons is presented. Case studies of each compound class are discussed and thereby the current strengths of multi-element isotope analysis, continuing challenges, and gaps in our current knowledge are identified for practitioners of multi-element CSIA to address in the near future.

Assessing toluene biodegradation under temporally varying redox conditions in a fractured bedrock aquifer using stable isotope methods

In complex hydrogeological settings little is known about the extent of temporally varying redox conditions and their effect on aromatic hydrocarbon biodegradation. This study aims to assess the impact of changing redox conditions over time on aromatic hydrocarbon biodegradation in a fractured bedrock aquifer using stable isotope methods. To that end, four snapshots of highly spatio-temporally resolved contaminant and redox sensitive species concentrations, as well as stable isotope ratio profiles, were determined over a two-years time period in summer 2016, spring 2017, fall 2017 and summer 2018 in a toluene contaminated fractured bedrock aquifer. The concentration profiles of redox sensitive species and stable isotope ratio profiles for dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and sulfate (δ¹³C_DIC, δ³⁴S_SO4, δ¹⁸O_SO4) revealed that the aquifer alternates between oxidising (spring 2017/summer 2018) and reducing conditions (summer 2016/fall 2017). This alternation was attributed to a stronger aquifer recharge with oxygen-rich meltwater in spring 2017/summer 2018 compared to summer 2016/fall 2017. The temporally varying redox conditions coincided with various extents of toluene biodegradation revealed by the different magnitude of heavy carbon (¹³C) and hydrogen (²H) isotope enrichment in toluene. This indicated that the extent of toluene biodegradation and its contribution to plume attenuation was controlled by the temporally changing redox conditions. The highest toluene biodegradation was observed in summer 2016, followed by spring 2017 and fall 2017, whereby these temporal changes in biodegradation occurred throughout the whole plume. Thus, under temporally varying recharge conditions both the core and the fringe of a contaminant plume can be replenished with terminal electron acceptors causing biodegradation in the whole plume and not only at its distal end as previously suggested by the plume fringe concept. Overall, this study highlights the importance of highly temporally resolved groundwater monitoring to capture temporally varying biodegradation rates and to accurately predict biodegradation-induced contaminant attenuation in fractured bedrock aquifers.

Carbon and hydrogen isotopic fractionation during abiotic hydrolysis and aerobic biodegradation of phthalate esters

We systematically investigated the changes of carbon and hydrogen isotope signatures of three phthalate esters (PAEs) during (i) abiotic hydrolysis over the pH range of 2, 7 and 10, and (ii) aerobic biodegradation initiated by hydrolysis by Rhodococcus opacus strain DSM 43250. Significant carbon isotopic fractionation was exhibited under all investigated conditions. Hydrogen isotopic fractionation was observed in some experiments and is hypothesized to be a secondary isotope effect due to the absence of a hydrogen bond cleavage during hydrolysis. Dual stable isotope analysis (Λ = Δδ²H/Δδ¹³C) resulting from abiotic hydrolysis and aerobic biodegradation showed similar magnitudes for dimethyl phthalate (DMP) and diethyl phthalate (DEP). The calculated carbon apparent kinetic isotope effects (AKIE_C) for the hydrolytic pathway (CO bond cleavage) of PAEs fall within an expected range of 1.03-1.09, with the exception of lower AKIE_C values for dibutyl phthalate (DBP) during hydrolysis at pH 2 and aerobic biodegradation. The lower AKIE_C of DBP at pH 2 and aerobic biodegradation is likely related to a transition state from reactant-like to tetrahedral intermediate-like structure. Abiotic and biotic hydrolysis of PAEs resulted in similar AKIE_C and Λ values due to the CO bond cleavage pathway, indicating the potential of dual isotope analysis to detect and quantify hydrolytic processes of PAEs in the environment. The pronounced primary carbon and typically low secondary or absent hydrogen isotopic fractionation might form a typical pattern to identify the hydrolytic reaction of PAEs in the environment. The characteristic Λ values of the hydrolytic reaction were different from Λ values of chemical oxidation of PAEs and showed diagnostic potential of dual HC isotope analysis to analyze reactions.

Reductive Dehalogenation of Trichloromethane by Two Different Dehalobacter restrictus Strains Reveal Opposing Dual Element Isotope Effects

Trichloromethane (TCM) is a frequently detected and persistent groundwater contaminant. Recent studies have reported that two closely related Dehalobacter strains (UNSWDHB and CF) transform TCM to dichloromethane, with inconsistent carbon isotope effects (ε¹³C_UNSWDHB = -4.3 ± 0.45‰; ε¹³C_CF = -27.5 ± 0.9‰). This study uses dual element compound specific isotope analysis (C; Cl) to explore the underlying differences. TCM transformation experiments using strain CF revealed pronounced normal carbon and chlorine isotope effects (ε¹³C_CF = -27.9 ± 1.7‰; ε³⁷Cl_CF = -4.2 ± 0.2‰). In contrast, small carbon and unprecedented inverse chlorine isotope effects were observed for strain UNSWDHB (ε¹³C_UNSWDHB = -3.1 ± 0.5‰; ε³⁷Cl_UNSWDHB = 2.5 ± 0.3‰) leading to opposing dual element isotope slopes (λ_CF = 6.64 ± 0.14 vs λ_UNSWDHB = -1.20 ± 0.18). Isotope effects of strain CF were identical to experiments with TCM and Vitamin B₁₂ (ε¹³C_Vitamin B12 = -26.0 ± 0.9‰, ε³⁷Cl_Vitamin B12 = -4.0 ± 0.2‰, λ_Vitamin B12 = 6.46 ± 0.20). Comparison to previously reported isotope effects suggests outer-sphere-single-electron transfer or S_N2 as possible underlying mechanisms. Cell suspension and cell free extract experiments with strain UNSWDHB were both unable to unmask the intrinsic KIE of the reductive dehalogenase (TmrA) suggesting that enzyme binding and/or mass-transfer into the periplasm were rate-limiting. Nondirected intermolecular interactions of TCM with cellular material were ruled out as reason for the inverse isotope effect by gas/water and gas/hexadecane partitioning experiments indicating specific, yet uncharacterized interactions must be operating prior to catalysis.

Dual Carbon-Chlorine Isotope Analysis Indicates Distinct Anaerobic Dichloromethane Degradation Pathways in Two Members of Peptococcaceae

Dichloromethane (DCM) is a probable human carcinogen and frequent groundwater contaminant and contributes to stratospheric ozone layer depletion. DCM is degraded by aerobes harboring glutathione-dependent DCM dehalogenases; however, DCM contamination occurs in oxygen-deprived environments, and much less is known about anaerobic DCM metabolism. Some members of the Peptococcaceae family convert DCM to environmentally benign products including acetate, formate, hydrogen (H₂), and inorganic chloride under strictly anoxic conditions. The current study applied stable carbon and chlorine isotope fractionation measurements to the axenic culture Dehalobacterium formicoaceticum and to the consortium RM comprising DCM degrader Candidatus Dichloromethanomonas elyunquensis. Degradation-associated carbon and chlorine isotope enrichment factors (ε_C and ε_Cl) of -42.4 ± 0.7‰ and -5.3 ± 0.1‰, respectively, were measured in D. formicoaceticum cultures. A similar ε_Cl of -5.2 ± 0.1‰, but a substantially lower ε_C of -18.3 ± 0.2‰, were determined for Ca. Dichloromethanomonas elyunquensis. The ε_C and ε_Cl values resulted in distinctly different dual element C-Cl isotope correlations (Λ^C/Cl = Δδ¹³C/Δδ³⁷Cl) of 7.89 ± 0.12 and 3.40 ± 0.03 for D. formicoaceticum and Ca. Dichloromethanomonas elyunquensis, respectively. The distinct Λ^C/Cl values obtained for the two cultures imply mechanistically distinct C-Cl bond cleavage reactions, suggesting that members of Peptococcaceae employ different pathways to metabolize DCM. These findings emphasize the utility of dual carbon-chlorine isotope analysis to pinpoint DCM degradation mechanisms and to provide an additional line of evidence that detoxification is occurring at DCM-contaminated sites.

Simulation of dual carbon-bromine stable isotope fractionation during 1,2-dibromoethane degradation

We performed a model-based investigation to simultaneously predict the evolution of concentration, as well as stable carbon and bromine isotope fractionation during 1,2-dibromoethane (EDB, ethylene dibromide) transformation in a closed system. The modelling approach considers bond-cleavage mechanisms during different reactions and allows evaluating dual carbon-bromine isotopic signals for chemical and biotic reactions, including aerobic and anaerobic biological transformation, dibromoelimination by Zn(0) and alkaline hydrolysis. The proposed model allowed us to accurately simulate the evolution of concentrations and isotope data observed in a previous laboratory study and to successfully identify different reaction pathways. Furthermore, we illustrated the model capabilities in degradation scenarios involving complex reaction systems. Specifically, we examined (i) the case of sequential multistep transformation of EDB and the isotopic evolution of the parent compound, the intermediate and the reaction product and (ii) the case of parallel competing abiotic pathways of EDB transformation in alkaline solution.

Assessment of anaerobic biodegradation of bis(2-chloroethyl) ether in groundwater using carbon and chlorine compound-specific isotope analysis

Carbon and chlorine compound specific isotope analysis (CSIA) of bis(2-chloroethyl) ether (BCEE) was performed to distinguish the primary processes contributing to observed concentration reductions in an anaerobic groundwater plume. Laboratory microcosms were constructed to demonstrate and obtain isotopic enrichment factors and dual-element CSIA trends from two potential transformation processes (1) anaerobic biodegradation using saturated sediment samples from the field site (ε_C=-14.8 and ε_Cl=-5.0) and (2) abiotic reactions with sulfide nucleophiles in water (ε_C=-12.8 and ε_Cl=-5.0). The results suggested a nucleophilic, S_N2-type dechlorination as the mechanism of biodegradation of BCEE. Identical dual-element CSIA trends observed in the field and in the microcosm samples suggested that the same degradation mechanism was responsible for BCEE degradation in the field. While biodegradation was the likely dominant mechanism of BCEE mass destruction in the aquifer, potential contribution of abiotic hydrolysis to the net budget of degradation could not be confidently excluded. To our knowledge, this is the first unequivocal demonstration of BCEE biodegradation at a field site.

Dehalogenases: From Improved Performance to Potential Microbial Dehalogenation Applications

The variety of halogenated substances and their derivatives widely used as pesticides, herbicides and other industrial products is of great concern due to the hazardous nature of these compounds owing to their toxicity, and persistent environmental pollution. Therefore, from the viewpoint of environmental technology, the need for environmentally relevant enzymes involved in biodegradation of these pollutants has received a great boost. One result of this great deal of attention has been the identification of environmentally relevant bacteria that produce hydrolytic dehalogenases—key enzymes which are considered cost-effective and eco-friendly in the removal and detoxification of these pollutants. These group of enzymes catalyzing the cleavage of the carbon-halogen bond of organohalogen compounds have potential applications in the chemical industry and bioremediation. The dehalogenases make use of fundamentally different strategies with a common mechanism to cleave carbon-halogen bonds whereby, an active-site carboxylate group attacks the substrate C atom bound to the halogen atom to form an ester intermediate and a halide ion with subsequent hydrolysis of the intermediate. Structurally, these dehalogenases have been characterized and shown to use substitution mechanisms that proceed via a covalent aspartyl intermediate. More so, the widest dehalogenation spectrum of electron acceptors tested with bacterial strains which could dehalogenate recalcitrant organohalides has further proven the versatility of bacterial dehalogenators to be considered when determining the fate of halogenated organics at contaminated sites. In this review, the general features of most widely studied bacterial dehalogenases, their structural properties, basis of the degradation of organohalides and their derivatives and how they have been improved for various applications is discussed.

37Cl-compound specific isotope analysis and assessment of functional genes for monitoring monochlorobenzene (MCB) biodegradation under aerobic conditions

A laboratory approach was adopted in this study to explore the potential of ³⁷Cl-CSIA in combination with ¹³C-CSIA and Biological Molecular Tools (BMTs) to estimate the occurrence of monochloroenzene (MCB) aerobic biodegradation. A new analytical method for ³⁷Cl-CSIA of MCB was developed in this study. This methodology using a GC-IRMS allowed to determine δ³⁷Cl values within an internal error of ±0.3‰. Samples from a heavily MCB contaminated site were collected and MCB aerobic biodegradation microcosms with indigenous cultures in natural and enhanced conditions were set up. The microcosms data show a negligible fractionation for ¹³C associated to MCB mass decrease of >95% over the incubation time. Conversely, an enrichment factor of -0.6±0.1‰ was estimated for ³⁷Cl, which is a reflection of a secondary isotope effect. Moreover, the dual isotope approach showed a pattern for aerobic degradation which differ from the theoretical trend for reductive dehalogenation. Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) results showed a significant increase in todC gene copy number with respect to its initial levels for both natural attenuation and biostimulated microcosms, suggesting its involvement in the MCB aerobic degradation, whereas phe gene copy number increased only in the biostimulated ones. Indeed, ³⁷Cl fractionation in combination with the dual carbon‑chlorine isotope approach and the todC gene copy number represent valuable indicators for a qualitative assessment of MCB aerobic biodegradation in the field.

Carbon-bromine bond cleavage - A perspective from bromine and carbon kinetic isotope effects on model debromination reactions

In this work, we explore the effect of solvent on ¹³C and ⁸¹Br kinetic isotope effects (KIEs) during elimination of bromine substituent from brominated organic compounds promoted by hydroxyl anion. In the present study, we investigate HBr elimination from 2-bromoethylbenzene in three different polar media (water, ethanol, and acetonitrile) as well as bromide ion elimination from 1,2-dibromoethane upon nucleophilic substitution by the hydroxyl ion in aqueous solution using carbon and bromine isotope analysis as mechanistic tools. We reconsider the hypothesis that the magnitude of leaving group halide KIE should visibly depend on the solvent and bond-breaking in a protic solvent should be accompanied by hydrogen bonding which would result in less zero-point energy loss than in an aprotic solvent. Modeling the elimination reaction using the available popular theoretical methods along with different approaches for including environment effects we demonstrate in the presented study no interpretable effect of the solvent on the transition state structure and hence on the theoretically predicted KIEs. The comparison of the magnitudes of carbon and bromine kinetic isotope effects for two different mechanistic pathways (elimination vs substitution) is also discussed.

Hydrogen Isotope Fractionation during the Biodegradation of 1,2-Dichloroethane: Potential for Pathway Identification Using a Multi-element (C, Cl, and H) Isotope Approach

Even though multi-element isotope fractionation patterns provide crucial information with which to identify contaminant degradation pathways in the field, those involving hydrogen are still lacking for many halogenated groundwater contaminants and degradation pathways. This study investigates for the first time hydrogen isotope fractionation during both aerobic and anaerobic biodegradation of 1,2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCA) using five microbial cultures. Transformation-associated isotope fractionation values (ε_bulk^H) were -115 ± 18‰ (aerobic C-H bond oxidation), -34 ± 4‰ and -38 ± 4‰ (aerobic C-Cl bond cleavage via hydrolytic dehalogenation), and -57 ± 3‰ and -77 ± 9‰ (anaerobic C-Cl bond cleavage via reductive dihaloelimination). The dual-element C-H isotope approach (Λ_C-H = Δδ²H/Δδ¹³C ≈ ε_bulk^H/ε_bulk^C, where Δδ²H and Δδ¹³C are changes in isotope ratios during degradation) resulted in clearly different Λ_C-H values: 28 ± 4 (oxidation), 0.7 ± 0.1 and 0.9 ± 0.1 (hydrolytic dehalogenation), and 1.76 ± 0.05 and 3.5 ± 0.1 (dihaloelimination). This result highlights the potential of this approach to identify 1,2-DCA degradation pathways in the field. In addition, distinct trends were also observed in a multi- (i.e., Δδ²H versus Δδ³⁷Cl versus Δδ¹³C) isotope plot, which opens further possibilities for pathway identification in future field studies. This is crucial information to understand the mechanisms controlling natural attenuation of 1,2-DCA and to design appropriate strategies to enhance biodegradation.

Modeling 3D-CSIA data: Carbon, chlorine, and hydrogen isotope fractionation during reductive dechlorination of TCE to ethene

Reactive transport modeling of multi-element, compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) data has great potential to quantify sequential microbial reductive dechlorination (SRD) and alternative pathways such as oxidation, in support of remediation of chlorinated solvents in groundwater. As a key step towards this goal, a model was developed that simulates simultaneous carbon, chlorine, and hydrogen isotope fractionation during SRD of trichloroethene, via cis-1,2-dichloroethene (and trans-DCE as minor pathway), and vinyl chloride to ethene, following Monod kinetics. A simple correction term for individual isotope/isotopologue rates avoided multi-element isotopologue modeling. The model was successfully validated with data from a mixed culture Dehalococcoides microcosm. Simulation of Cl-CSIA required incorporation of secondary kinetic isotope effects (SKIEs). Assuming a limited degree of intramolecular heterogeneity of δ³⁷Cl in TCE decreased the magnitudes of SKIEs required at the non-reacting Cl positions, without compromising the goodness of model fit, whereas a good fit of a model involving intramolecular CCl bond competition required an unlikely degree of intramolecular heterogeneity. Simulation of H-CSIA required SKIEs in H atoms originally present in the reacting compounds, especially for TCE, together with imprints of strongly depleted δ²H during protonation in the products. Scenario modeling illustrates the potential of H-CSIA for source apportionment.

Carbon and Chlorine Isotope Fractionation Patterns Associated with Different Engineered Chloroform Transformation Reactions

To use compound-specific isotope analysis for confidently assessing organic contaminant attenuation in the environment, isotope fractionation patterns associated with different transformation mechanisms must first be explored in laboratory experiments. To deliver this information for the common groundwater contaminant chloroform (CF), this study investigated for the first time both carbon and chlorine isotope fractionation for three different engineered reactions: oxidative C-H bond cleavage using heat-activated persulfate, transformation under alkaline conditions (pH ∼ 12) and reductive C-Cl bond cleavage by cast zerovalent iron, Fe(0). Carbon and chlorine isotope fractionation values were -8 ± 1‰ and -0.44 ± 0.06‰ for oxidation, -57 ± 5‰ and -4.4 ± 0.4‰ for alkaline hydrolysis (pH 11.84 ± 0.03), and -33 ± 11‰ and -3 ± 1‰ for dechlorination, respectively. Carbon and chlorine apparent kinetic isotope effects (AKIEs) were in general agreement with expected mechanisms (C-H bond cleavage in oxidation by persulfate, C-Cl bond cleavage in Fe(0)-mediated reductive dechlorination and E1_CB elimination mechanism during alkaline hydrolysis) where a secondary AKIE_Cl (1.00045 ± 0.00004) was observed for oxidation. The different dual carbon-chlorine (Δδ¹³C vs Δδ³⁷Cl) isotope patterns for oxidation by thermally activated persulfate and alkaline hydrolysis (17 ± 2 and 13.0 ± 0.8, respectively) vs reductive dechlorination by Fe(0) (8 ± 2) establish a base to identify and quantify these CF degradation mechanisms in the field.

Enantioselectivity of haloalkane dehalogenase LinB on the degradation of 1,2-dichloropropane: A QM/MM study

The hydrolysis dechlorination mechanism of a chiral organochlorinepollutant, 1,2-dichloropropane (DCP), catalyzed by haloalkane dehalogenase LinB has been investigated by using a combined quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics method. LinB was confirmed to be enantioselective towards the catabolism of the racemic mixture. Based on the S_N2 nucleophilic substitution mechanism, the dechlorination process was identified as the rate-determining step in LinB-catalyzed degradation of 1,2-dichloropropane, the Boltzmann-weighted average potential barrier of which is 18.8kcal/mol for the (R)-isomer and 24.0kcal/mol for the (S)-isomer. A particular water molecule near (S)-DCP in the reaction system can strongly disturb the dechlorination process, which can account for the enantioselectivity of LinB. Further electrostatic influence analysis indicates that proper mutation of Gly37 may improve the catalytic efficiency of LinB towards DCP.

Distinct Dual C-Cl Isotope Fractionation Patterns during Anaerobic Biodegradation of 1,2-Dichloroethane: Potential To Characterize Microbial Degradation in the Field

This study investigates, for the first time, dual C-Cl isotope fractionation during anaerobic biodegradation of 1,2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCA) via dihaloelimination by Dehalococcoides and Dehalogenimonas-containing enrichment cultures. Isotopic fractionation of 1,2-DCA (ε_bulk^C and ε_bulk^Cl) for Dehalococcoides (-33.0 ± 0.4‰ and -5.1 ± 0.1‰) and Dehalogenimonas-containing microcosms (-23 ± 2‰ and -12.0 ± 0.8‰) resulted in distinctly different dual element C-Cl isotope correlations (Λ = Δδ¹³C/Δδ³⁷Cl ≈ ε_bulk^C/ε_bulk^Cl), 6.8 ± 0.2 and 1.89 ± 0.02, respectively. Determined isotope effects and detected products suggest that the difference on the obtained Λ values for biodihaloelimination could be associated with a different mode of concerted bond cleavage rather than two different reaction pathways (i.e., stepwise vs concerted). Λ values of 1,2-DCA were, for the first time, determined in two field sites under reducing conditions (2.1 ± 0.1 and 2.2 ± 2.9). They were similar to the one obtained for the Dehalogenimonas-containing microcosms (1.89 ± 0.02) and very different from those reported for aerobic degradation pathways in a previous laboratory study (7.6 ± 0.1 and 0.78 ± 0.03). Thus, this study illustrates the potential of a dual isotope analysis to differentiate between aerobic and anaerobic biodegradation pathways of 1,2-DCA in the field and suggests that this approach might also be used to characterize dihaloelimination of 1,2-DCA by different bacteria, which needs to be confirmed in future studies.

Simulating stable carbon and chlorine isotope ratios in dissolved chlorinated groundwater pollutants with BIOCHLOR-ISO

BIOCHLOR is a well-known simple tool for evaluating the transport of dissolved chlorinated solvents in groundwater, ideal for rapid screening and teaching. This work extends the BIOCHLOR model for the calculation of stable isotope ratios of carbon and chlorine isotopes in chloroethenes. An exact solution for the three-dimensional reactive transport of a chain of degrading compounds including sorption is provided in a spreadsheet and applied for modeling the transport of individual isotopes ¹²C, ¹³C, ³⁵Cl, ³⁷Cl from a constant source. The model can consider secondary isotope effects that can occur in the breaking of CCl bonds. The model is correctly reproducing results for δ¹³C and δ³⁷Cl modeled by a previously published 1-D numerical model without secondary isotope effects, and is also reproducing results from a microcosm experiment with secondary chlorine isotope effects. Two applications of the model using field data from literature are further given and discussed. The new BIOCHLOR-ISO model is distributed as a spreadsheet (MS EXCEL) along with this publication.

Dual Carbon-Bromine Stable Isotope Analysis Allows Distinguishing Transformation Pathways of Ethylene Dibromide

The present study investigated dual carbon-bromine isotope fractionation of the common groundwater contaminant ethylene dibromide (EDB) during chemical and biological transformations, including aerobic and anaerobic biodegradation, alkaline hydrolysis, Fenton-like degradation, debromination by Zn(0) and reduced corrinoids. Significantly different correlation of carbon and bromine isotope fractionation (ΛC/Br) was observed not only for the processes following different transformation pathways, but also for abiotic and biotic processes with, the presumed, same formal chemical degradation mechanism. The studied processes resulted in a wide range of ΛC/Br values: ΛC/Br = 30.1 was observed for hydrolysis of EDB in alkaline solution; ΛC/Br between 4.2 and 5.3 were determined for dibromoelimination pathway with reduced corrinoids and Zn(0) particles; EDB biodegradation by Ancylobacter aquaticus and Sulfurospirillum multivorans resulted in ΛC/Br = 10.7 and 2.4, respectively; Fenton-like degradation resulted in carbon isotope fractionation only, leading to ΛC/Br ∞. Calculated carbon apparent kinetic isotope effects ((13)C-AKIE) fell with 1.005 to 1.035 within expected ranges according to the theoretical KIE, however, biotic transformations resulted in weaker carbon isotope effects than respective abiotic transformations. Relatively large bromine isotope effects with (81)Br-AKIE of 1.0012-1.002 and 1.0021-1.004 were observed for nucleophilic substitution and dibromoelimination, respectively, and reveal so far underestimated strong bromine isotope effects.

Microbial degradation of the brominated flame retardant TBNPA by groundwater bacteria: laboratory and field study

In the present study, the biodegradation of the brominated flame retardant tribromoneopentylalcohol (TBNPA) by a groundwater enrichment culture was investigated using a dual carbon ((13)C/(12)C)- bromine ((81)Br/(79)Br) stable isotope analysis. An indigenous aerobic bacterial consortium was enriched from the polluted groundwater underlying an industrial site in the northern Negev Desert, Israel, where TBNPA is an abundant pollutant. Aerobic biodegradation was shown to be rapid, with complete debromination within a few days, whereas anaerobic biodegradation was not observed. Biodegradation under aerobic conditions was accompanied by a significant carbon isotope effect with an isotopic enrichment factor of ɛCbulk = -8.8‰ ± 1.5‰, without any detectable bromine isotope fractionation. It was found that molecular oxygen is necessary for biodegradation to occur, suggesting an initial oxidative step. Based on these results, it was proposed that H abstraction from the C-H bond is the first step of TBNPA biodegradation under aerobic conditions, and that the C-H bond cleavage results in the formation of unstable intermediates, which are rapidly debrominated. A preliminary isotopic analysis of TBNPA in the groundwater underlying the industrial area revealed that there are no changes in the carbon and bromine isotope ratio values downstream of the contamination source. Considering that anoxic conditions prevail in the groundwater of the contaminated site, the lack of isotope shifts in TBNPA indicates the lack of TBNPA biodegradation in the groundwater, in accordance with our findings.

Use of dual carbon-chlorine isotope analysis to assess the degradation pathways of 1,1,1-trichloroethane in groundwater

Compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) is a powerful tool to track contaminant fate in groundwater. However, the application of CSIA to chlorinated ethanes has received little attention so far. These compounds are toxic and prevalent groundwater contaminants of environmental concern. The high susceptibility of chlorinated ethanes like 1,1,1-trichloroethane (1,1,1-TCA) to be transformed via different competing pathways (biotic and abiotic) complicates the assessment of their fate in the subsurface. In this study, the use of a dual C-Cl isotope approach to identify the active degradation pathways of 1,1,1-TCA is evaluated for the first time in an aerobic aquifer impacted by 1,1,1-TCA and trichloroethylene (TCE) with concentrations of up to 20 mg/L and 3.4 mg/L, respectively. The reaction-specific dual carbon-chlorine (C-Cl) isotope trends determined in a recent laboratory study illustrated the potential of a dual isotope approach to identify contaminant degradation pathways of 1,1,1-TCA. Compared to the dual isotope slopes (Δδ(13)C/Δδ(37)Cl) previously determined in the laboratory for dehydrohalogenation/hydrolysis (DH/HY, 0.33 ± 0.04) and oxidation by persulfate (∞), the slope determined from field samples (0.6 ± 0.2, r(2) = 0.75) is closer to the one observed for DH/HY, pointing to DH/HY as the predominant degradation pathway of 1,1,1-TCA in the aquifer. The observed deviation could be explained by a minor contribution of additional degradation processes. This result, along with the little degradation of TCE determined from isotope measurements, confirmed that 1,1,1-TCA is the main source of the 1,1-dichlorethylene (1,1-DCE) detected in the aquifer with concentrations of up to 10 mg/L. This study demonstrates that a dual C-Cl isotope approach can strongly improve the qualitative and quantitative assessment of 1,1,1-TCA degradation processes in the field.

Isotope Fractionation Associated with the Indirect Photolysis of Substituted Anilines in Aqueous Solution

Organic micropollutants containing aniline substructures are susceptible to different light-induced transformation processes in aquatic environments and water treatment operations. Here, we investigated the magnitude and variability of C and N isotope fractionation during the indirect phototransformation of four para-substituted anilines in aerated aqueous solutions. The model photosensitizers, namely 9,10-anthraquinone-1,5-disulfonate and methylene blue, were used as surrogates for dissolved organic matter chromophores generating excited triplet states in sunlit surface waters. The transformation of aniline, 4-CH3-, 4-OCH3-, and 4-Cl-aniline by excited triplet states of the photosensitizers was associated with inverse and normal N isotope fractionation, whereas C isotope fractionation was negligible. The apparent 15N kinetic isotope effects (AKIE) were almost identical for both photosensitizers, increased from 0.9958±0.0013 for 4-OCH3-aniline to 1.0035±0.0006 for 4-Cl-aniline, and correlated well with the electron donating properties of the substituent. N isotope fractionation is pH-dependent in that H+ exchange reactions dominate below and N atom oxidation processes above the pKa value of the substituted aniline's conjugate acid. Correlations of C and N isotope fractionation for indirect phototransformation were different from those determined previously for the direct photolysis of chloroanilines and offer new opportunities to distinguish between abiotic degradation pathways.

Substrate hydrophobicity and cell composition influence the extent of rate limitation and masking of isotope fractionation during microbial reductive dehalogenation of chlorinated ethenes

This study investigated the effect of intracellular microscale mass transfer on microbial carbon isotope fractionation of tetrachloroethene (PCE) and trichloroethene (TCE). Significantly stronger isotope fractionation was observed for crude extracts vs intact cells of Sulfurospirillum multivorans, Geobacter lovleyi, Desulfuromonas michiganensis, Desulfitobacterium hafniense strain PCE-S, and Dehalobacter restrictus. Furthermore, carbon stable isotope fractionation was stronger for microorganisms with a Gram-positive cell envelope compared to those with a Gram-negative cell envelope. Significant differences were observed between model organisms in cellular sorption capacity for PCE (S. multivorans-K(d-PCE) = 0.42-0.51 L g(-1); D. hafniense-K(d-PCE) = 0.13 L g(-1)), as well as in envelope hydrophobicity (S. multivorans 33.0° to 72.2°; D. hafniense 59.1° to 60.8°) when previously cultivated with fumarate or PCE as electron acceptor, but not for TCE. Cell envelope properties and the tetrachloroethene reductive dehalogenase (PceA-RDase) localization did not result in significant effects on observed isotope fractionation of TCE. For PCE, however, systematic masking of isotope effects as a result of microscale mass transfer limitation at microbial membranes was observed, with carbon isotope enrichment factors of -2.2‰, -1.5 to -1.6‰, and -1.0‰ (CI95% < ± 0.2‰) for no membrane, hydrophilic outer membrane, and outer + cytoplasmic membrane, respectively. Conclusively, rate-limiting mass transfer barriers were (a) the outer membrane or cell wall and (b) the cytoplasmic membrane in case of a cytoplasmic location of the RDase enzyme. Overall, our results indicate that masking of isotope fractionation is determined by (1) hydrophobicity of the degraded compound, (2) properties of the cell envelope, and (3) the localization of the reacting enzyme.

Application of dual carbon-bromine isotope analysis for investigating abiotic transformations of tribromoneopentyl alcohol (TBNPA)

Many of polybrominated organic compounds, used as flame retardant additives, belong to the group of persistent organic pollutants. Compound-specific isotope analysis is one of the potential analytical tools for investigating their fate in the environment. However, the isotope effects associated with transformations of brominated organic compounds are still poorly explored. In the present study, we investigated carbon and bromine isotope fractionation during degradation of tribromoneopentyl alcohol (TBNPA), one of the widely used flame retardant additives, in three different chemical processes: transformation in aqueous alkaline solution (pH 8); reductive dehalogenation by zero-valent iron nanoparticles (nZVI) in anoxic conditions; oxidative degradation by H2O2 in the presence of CuO nanoparticles (nCuO). Two-dimensional carbon-bromine isotope plots (δ(13)C/Δ(81)Br) for each reaction gave different process-dependent isotope slopes (Λ(C/Br)): 25.2 ± 2.5 for alkaline hydrolysis (pH 8); 3.8 ± 0.5 for debromination in the presence of nZVI in anoxic conditions; ∞ in the case of catalytic oxidation by H2O2 with nCuO. The obtained isotope effects for both elements were generally in agreement with the values expected for the suggested reaction mechanisms. The results of the present study support further applications of dual carbon-bromine isotope analysis as a tool for identification of reaction pathway during transformations of brominated organic compounds in the environment.

Carbon and chlorine isotope analysis to identify abiotic degradation pathways of 1,1,1-trichloroethane

This study investigates dual C-Cl isotope fractionation during 1,1,1-TCA transformation by heat-activated persulfate (PS), hydrolysis/dehydrohalogenation (HY/DH) and Fe(0). Compound-specific chlorine isotope analysis of 1,1,1-TCA was performed for the first time, and transformation-associated isotope fractionation ε bulk C and ε bulk Cl values were -4.0 ± 0.2‰ and no chlorine isotope fractionation with PS, -1.6 ± 0.2‰ and -4.7 ± 0.1‰ for HY/DH, -7.8 ± 0.4‰ and -5.2 ± 0.2‰ with Fe(0). Distinctly different dual isotope slopes (Δδ13C/Δδ37Cl): ∞ with PS, 0.33 ± 0.04 for HY/DH and 1.5 ± 0.1 with Fe(0) highlight the potential of this approach to identify abiotic degradation pathways of 1,1,1-TCA in the field. The trend observed with PS agreed with a C-H bond oxidation mechanism in the first reaction step. For HY/DH and Fe(0) pathways, different slopes were obtained although both pathways involve cleavage of a C-Cl bond in their initial reaction step. In contrast to the expected larger primary carbon isotope effects relative to chlorine for C-Cl bond cleavage, ε bulk C < ε bulk Cl was observed for HY/DH and in a similar range for reduction by Fe(0), suggesting the contribution of secondary chlorine isotope effects. Therefore, different magnitude of secondary chlorine isotope effects could at least be partly responsible for the distinct slopes between HY/DH and Fe(0) pathways. Following this dual isotope approach, abiotic transformation processes can unambiguously be identified and quantified.