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Cook E, Olivares CI, Antell EH, Tsou K, Kim TK, Cuthbertson A, Higgins CP, Sedlak DL, Alvarez-Cohen L. Sulfonamide Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Can Impact Microorganisms Used in Aromatic Hydrocarbon and Trichloroethene Bioremediation. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:8792-8802. [PMID: 38719742 PMCID: PMC11112735 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c09715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) from aqueous film forming foams (AFFFs) can hinder bioremediation of co-contaminants such as trichloroethene (TCE) and benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX). Anaerobic dechlorination can require bioaugmentation of Dehalococcoides, and for BTEX, oxygen is often sparged to stimulate in situ aerobic biodegradation. We tested PFAS inhibition to TCE and BTEX bioremediation by exposing an anaerobic TCE-dechlorinating coculture, an aerobic BTEX-degrading enrichment culture, and an anaerobic toluene-degrading enrichment culture to n-dimethyl perfluorohexane sulfonamido amine (AmPr-FHxSA), perfluorohexane sulfonamide (FHxSA), perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS), or nonfluorinated surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). The anaerobic TCE-dechlorinating coculture was resistant to individual PFAS exposures but was inhibited by >1000× diluted AFFF. FHxSA and AmPr-FHxSA inhibited the aerobic BTEX-degrading enrichment. The anaerobic toluene-degrading enrichment was not inhibited by AFFF or individual PFASs. Increases in amino acids in the anaerobic TCE-dechlorinating coculture compared to the control indicated stress response, whereas the BTEX culture exhibited lower concentrations of all amino acids upon exposure to most surfactants (both fluorinated and nonfluorinated) compared to the control. These data suggest the main mechanisms of microbial toxicity are related to interactions with cell membrane synthesis as well as protein stress signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily
K. Cook
- Department
of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Christopher I. Olivares
- Department
of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Department
of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Edmund H. Antell
- Department
of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Katerina Tsou
- Department
of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Tae-Kyoung Kim
- Department
of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Amy Cuthbertson
- Department
of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Christopher P. Higgins
- Department
of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - David L. Sedlak
- Department
of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Lisa Alvarez-Cohen
- Department
of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
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2
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Feng G, Zhou B, Yuan R, Luo S, Gai N, Chen H. Influence of soil composition and environmental factors on the adsorption of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances: A review. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 925:171785. [PMID: 38508244 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 03/09/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have garnered considerable scientific and regulatory scrutiny due to their widespread distribution across environments and their potential toxicological impacts on human health. The pedosphere serves as a vital reservoir for these chemicals, significantly determining their environmental trajectory and chemical transformations. This study offers a comprehensive synthesis of the current understanding regarding the adsorption mechanics of PFASs in soil matrices. Due to their unique molecular structure, PFASs predominantly engage in hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions during soil adsorption. This work thoroughly evaluates the influence of various factors on adsorption efficiency, including soil properties, molecular characteristics of PFASs, and the prevailing environmental conditions. The complex nature of soil environments complicates isolating individual impacts on PFAS behavior, necessitating an integrated approach to understanding their environmental destinies better. Through this exploration, we seek to clarify the complex interplay of factors that modulate the adsorption of PFASs in soils, highlighting the urgent need for future research to disentangle the intricate and combined effects that control the environmental behavior of PFAS compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ge Feng
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Resource-oriented Treatment of Industrial Pollutants, School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China; Key Laboratory of Eco-geochemistry, Ministry of Natural Resources of China, National Research Center for Geo-analysis (NRCGA), Beijing 100037, China
| | - Beihai Zhou
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Resource-oriented Treatment of Industrial Pollutants, School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Rongfang Yuan
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Resource-oriented Treatment of Industrial Pollutants, School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Shuai Luo
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Resource-oriented Treatment of Industrial Pollutants, School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Nan Gai
- Key Laboratory of Eco-geochemistry, Ministry of Natural Resources of China, National Research Center for Geo-analysis (NRCGA), Beijing 100037, China.
| | - Huilun Chen
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Resource-oriented Treatment of Industrial Pollutants, School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China.
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Choi YJ, Helbling DE, Liu J, Olivares CI, Higgins CP. Microbial biotransformation of aqueous film-forming foam derived polyfluoroalkyl substances. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 824:153711. [PMID: 35149076 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) used in aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) comprise some perfluoroalkyl substances but a larger variety of polyfluoroalkyl substances. Despite their abundance in AFFF, information is lacking on the potential transformation of these polyfluoroalkyl substances. Due to the biological and chemical stability of the repeating perfluoroalkyl -(CF2)n- moiety common to all known AFFF-derived PFASs, it is not immediately evident whether the microbial biotransformation mechanisms observed for other organic contaminants also govern the microbial biotransformation of polyfluoroalkyl substances. Herein, we aim to: 1) review the literature on the aerobic or anaerobic microbial biotransformation of AFFF-derived polyfluoroalkyl substances in environmental media; 2) compile and summarize proposed microbial biotransformation pathways for major classes of polyfluoroalkyl substances; 3) identify the dominant biotransformation intermediates and terminal biotransformation products; and 4) discuss these findings in the context of environmental monitoring and source allocation. This analysis revealed that much more is currently known about aerobic microbial biotransformation of polyfluoroalkyl substances, as compared to anaerobic biotransformation. Further, there are some similarities in microbial biotransformations of fluorotelomer and electrochemical fluorination-derived polyfluoroalkyl substances, but differences may be largely due to head group composition. Dealkylation, oxidation, and hydrolytic reactions appear to be particularly important for microbial biotransformation of AFFF-derived polyfluoroalkyl substances, and these biotransformations may lead to formation of some semi-stable intermediates. Finally, this review discusses key knowledge gaps and opportunities for further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youn Jeong Choi
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO, USA; Department of Agronomy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Damian E Helbling
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Jinxia Liu
- Department of Civil Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Christopher I Olivares
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Christopher P Higgins
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO, USA.
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Bioremediation of Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) by Anaerobic Digestion: Effect of PFAS on Different Trophic Groups and Methane Production Accelerated by Carbon Materials. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 27:molecules27061895. [PMID: 35335259 PMCID: PMC8952860 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27061895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are recalcitrant pollutants which tend to persist in soils and aquatic environments and their remediation is among the most challenging with respect to organic pollutants. Anaerobic digestion (AD) supplemented with low amounts of carbon materials (CM), acting as electron drivers, has proved to be an efficient process for the removal of organic compounds from wastewater. This work explores the impact of PFAS on different trophic groups in anaerobic communities, and the effect of carbon nanotubes (CNT), activated carbon (AC), and oxidized AC (AC-HNO3), as electron shuttles on the anaerobic bioremoval of these compounds, based on CH4 production. The inhibition of the specific methanogenic activity (SMA) exerted by perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), at a concentration of 0.1 mg L−1, was below 10% for acetoclastic and below 15%, for acetogenic communities. Hydrogenotrophic methanogens were not affected by the presence of PFAS. All CM reduced the negative impact of PFAS on the CH4 production rate, but AC was the best. Moreover, the methanization percentage (MP) of sewage sludge (SS) increased 41% in the presence of PFOS (1.2 g L−1) and AC. In addition, AC fostered an increase of 11% in the MP of SS+PFOS, relative to the condition without AC. AC promoted detoxification of PFOA- and PFOS-treated samples by 51% and 35%, respectively, as assessed by Vibrio fischeri assays, demonstrating the advantage of bringing AD and CM together for PFAS remediation.
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Cao L, Xu W, Wan Z, Li G, Zhang F. Occurrence of PFASs and its effect on soil bacteria at a fire-training area using PFOS-restricted aqueous film-forming foams. iScience 2022; 25:104084. [PMID: 35372804 PMCID: PMC8971937 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Fire-training areas (FTAs) are an important source of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) pollution. However, the effect of PFASs on soil bacterial communities remains limited. Here, we detected the PFASs in soils ranging from 3.4 to 531.7 μg kg−1 dry weight in seven plots at an FTA where PFOS-restricted aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs) have been used for 6 years. PFOS was still the dominant homologue despite the restriction by Stockholm Convention, but it was almost three orders of magnitude lower than that in previous studies. PFASs played an important role in shaping the bacterial community, and high levels of PFASs (>100 μg kg−1 dw) reduced the biodiversity and connectivity of soil bacteria. The extreme condition-tolerant bacteria were identified as biomarkers at the FTA. Our study provides valuable insights into the effect of PFOS-restricted AFFFs on soil bacterial communities at the FTA. PFOS was still the dominant PFAS despite the restriction by Stockholm Convention PFASs played an important role in shaping bacterial community High level of PFASs reduced the biodiversity and connectivity of soil bacteria The extreme condition-tolerant bacteria were identified as biomarkers at the FTA
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Evich MG, Davis MJB, McCord JP, Acrey B, Awkerman JA, Knappe DRU, Lindstrom AB, Speth TF, Stevens CT, Strynar MJ, Wang Z, Weber EJ, Henderson WM, Washington JW. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in the environment. Science 2022; 375:eabg9065. [PMID: 35113710 PMCID: PMC8902460 DOI: 10.1126/science.abg9065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 338] [Impact Index Per Article: 169.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Over the past several years, the term PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) has grown to be emblematic of environmental contamination, garnering public, scientific, and regulatory concern. PFAS are synthesized by two processes, direct fluorination (e.g., electrochemical fluorination) and oligomerization (e.g., fluorotelomerization). More than a megatonne of PFAS is produced yearly, and thousands of PFAS wind up in end-use products. Atmospheric and aqueous fugitive releases during manufacturing, use, and disposal have resulted in the global distribution of these compounds. Volatile PFAS facilitate long-range transport, commonly followed by complex transformation schemes to recalcitrant terminal PFAS, which do not degrade under environmental conditions and thus migrate through the environment and accumulate in biota through multiple pathways. Efforts to remediate PFAS-contaminated matrices still are in their infancy, with much current research targeting drinking water.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina G. Evich
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling
| | - Mary J. B. Davis
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling
| | - James P. McCord
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling
| | - Brad Acrey
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling
| | - Jill A. Awkerman
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling
| | - Detlef R. U. Knappe
- Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA,Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Andrew B. Lindstrom
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment
| | - Thomas F. Speth
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response
| | - Caroline T. Stevens
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling
| | - Mark J. Strynar
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling
| | - Zhanyun Wang
- Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Eric J. Weber
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling
| | - W. Matthew Henderson
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling,corresponding: ,
| | - John W. Washington
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling,corresponding: ,
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7
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Bottos EM, Al-Shabib EY, Shaw DMJ, McAmmond BM, Sharma A, Suchan DM, Cameron ADS, Van Hamme JD. Transcriptomic response of Gordonia sp. strain NB4-1Y when provided with 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonamidoalkyl betaine or 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonate as sole sulfur source. Biodegradation 2020; 31:407-422. [PMID: 33150552 PMCID: PMC7661421 DOI: 10.1007/s10532-020-09917-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Abstract Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are environmental contaminants of concern. We previously described biodegradation of two PFAS that represent components and transformation products of aqueous film-forming foams (AFFF), 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonamidoalkyl betaine (6:2 FTAB) and 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonate (6:2 FTSA), by Gordonia sp. strain NB4-1Y. To identify genes involved in the breakdown of these compounds, the transcriptomic response of NB4-1Y was examined when grown on 6:2 FTAB, 6:2 FTSA, a non-fluorinated analog of 6:2 FTSA (1-octanesulfonate), or MgSO4, as sole sulfur source. Differentially expressed genes were identified as those with ± 1.5 log2-fold-differences (± 1.5 log2FD) in transcript abundances in pairwise comparisons. Transcriptomes of cells grown on 6:2 FTAB and 6:2 FTSA were most similar (7.9% of genes expressed ± 1.5 log2FD); however, several genes that were expressed in greater abundance in 6:2 FTAB treated cells compared to 6:2 FTSA treated cells were noted for their potential role in carbon–nitrogen bond cleavage in 6:2 FTAB. Responses to sulfur limitation were observed in 6:2 FTAB, 6:2 FTSA, and 1-octanesulfonate treatments, as 20 genes relating to global sulfate stress response were more highly expressed under these conditions compared to the MgSO4 treatment. More highly expressed oxygenase genes in 6:2 FTAB, 6:2 FTSA, and 1-octanesulfonate treatments were found to code for proteins with lower percent sulfur-containing amino acids compared to both the total proteome and to oxygenases showing decreased expression. This work identifies genetic targets for further characterization and will inform studies aimed at evaluating the biodegradation potential of environmental samples through applied genomics. Graphic Abstract ![]()
Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s10532-020-09917-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric M Bottos
- Department of Biological Sciences, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, BC, V2C 0C8, Canada
| | - Ebtihal Y Al-Shabib
- Department of Biology, University of Regina, Regina, SK, S4S 0A2, Canada
- Faculty of Science, Institute for Microbial Systems and Society, University of Regina, Regina, SK, S4S 0A2, Canada
| | - Dayton M J Shaw
- Department of Biological Sciences, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, BC, V2C 0C8, Canada
| | - Breanne M McAmmond
- Department of Biological Sciences, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, BC, V2C 0C8, Canada
| | - Aditi Sharma
- Department of Biology, University of Regina, Regina, SK, S4S 0A2, Canada
- Faculty of Science, Institute for Microbial Systems and Society, University of Regina, Regina, SK, S4S 0A2, Canada
| | - Danae M Suchan
- Department of Biology, University of Regina, Regina, SK, S4S 0A2, Canada
- Faculty of Science, Institute for Microbial Systems and Society, University of Regina, Regina, SK, S4S 0A2, Canada
| | - Andrew D S Cameron
- Department of Biology, University of Regina, Regina, SK, S4S 0A2, Canada
- Faculty of Science, Institute for Microbial Systems and Society, University of Regina, Regina, SK, S4S 0A2, Canada
| | - Jonathan D Van Hamme
- Department of Biological Sciences, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, BC, V2C 0C8, Canada.
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Ke Y, Tong T, Chen J, Huang J, Xie S. Influences of hexafluoropropylene oxide (HFPO) homologues on soil microbial communities. CHEMOSPHERE 2020; 259:127504. [PMID: 32650170 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.127504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Revised: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/20/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Hexafluoropropylene oxide (HFPO) homologues, as emerging perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) to replace legacy PFASs, have wide applications in the organofluorine industry and have been detected in the global environment. However, it is still unclear what effect HFPO homologues will exert on microbial abundance, community structure and function. The objective of this study was to assess potential impacts of HFPO homologue acids on archaea, bacteria, and ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and bacteria (AOB) in the soil environment. Grassland soil microcosms were supplemented with low (0.1 mg/kg) or high (10 mg/kg) dosages of dimer, trimer and tetramer acids of HFPO (HFPO-DA, HFPO-TA, and HFPO-TeA), respectively. The amendment of HFPO homologues acids initially decreased the abundance of archaea and bacteria but increased them in the later period. The addition of HFPO homologues acids raised AOA abundance but restrained AOB growth during the whole incubation. AOA and AOB community structures showed considerable variations. Potential nitrifying rate (PNR) showed an increase in the initial period followed by a decline in the later period. HFPO-DA had a lasting and suppressive effect on AOB and PNR even at a nearly environmental level. Overall, HFPO homologues with different carbon chain lengths had different impacts on soil microbial community and ammonia oxidation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanchu Ke
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Tianli Tong
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Jianfei Chen
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Jun Huang
- School of Environment, Beijing Key Laboratory for Emerging Organic Contaminants Control (BKLEOC), State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control (SKLESPC), Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
| | - Shuguang Xie
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
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