A method for measuring the biodegradation of organic chemicals

Boatman, Rodney J.; Cunningham, Suzanne L.; Ziegler, Donald A.

doi:10.1002/etc.5620050302

Cited by 34 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…The enrichment procedure showed similar results with these compounds; biodegradation occurred rapidly and tests were completed by day 7 . This finding contradicts the results for p-nitrophenol and N-methylaniline in earlier studies using the identical enrichment acclimation and biodegradation procedures [35]. The contradiction could be due to the different inocula; our studies, regardless of acclimation procedure, used MLSS from an industrial wastewater treatment plant, whereas the studies by Boatman et al [35] used a mixture of laboratory-maintained sludge (MLSS) and secondary effluent from an industrial wastewater treatment plant.…”

Section: Biodegradationcontrasting

confidence: 90%

“…Acclimation was monitored by measuring loss of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from the acclimation medium. Biodegradation was assessed by measuring C 0 2 evolution [35]. The biodegradation tests were seeded with microbes from one of the two acclimation procedures.…”

Section: Introductioncontrasting

confidence: 90%

“…This finding contradicts the results for p-nitrophenol and N-methylaniline in earlier studies using the identical enrichment acclimation and biodegradation procedures [35]. The contradiction could be due to the different inocula; our studies, regardless of acclimation procedure, used MLSS from an industrial wastewater treatment plant, whereas the studies by Boatman et al [35] used a mixture of laboratory-maintained sludge (MLSS) and secondary effluent from an industrial wastewater treatment plant. Laboratory-maintained sludge units could be expected to have a much reduced species diversity because they use a relatively restricted synthetic feed, which may account for lack of biodegradation with this inoculum.…”

Section: Biodegradationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A COMPARISON of the effects of two methods of acclimation on aerobic biodegradability

Watson

1993

Enviro Toxic and Chemistry

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The acclimation or adaptation of microorganisms to organic chemicals is an important factor influencing both the rate and the extent of biodegradation. In this study two acclimation procedures were evaluated in terms of their effectiveness in enhancing biodegradation, their relative ease of use in the laboratory, and the implications for biodegradability testing. In the single‐flask procedure, microorganisms were acclimated for 2 to 7 d in a single acclimation flask at constant or increasing concentrations of the test chemical without transfer of microorganisms. In the second procedure, the enrichment procedure, microorganisms were acclimated in a series of flasks over a 21‐d period by making adaptive transfers to increasing concentrations of the test chemical. Acclimated microorganisms from each procedure were used as the source of inoculum for subsequent biodegradation tests in which carbon dioxide evolution was measured. Six chemicals were tested: quinoline, p‐nitrophenol, N‐methylaniline, N,N‐dimethylaniline, acrylonitrile, and 2,2,4‐trimethyl‐1,3‐pentanediol monoisobutyrate. Microorganisms acclimated in the single‐flask procedure were much more effective than those acclimated in the enrichment procedure in degrading the test chemicals. The single‐flask procedure is more convenient to use, and it permits monitoring of the time needed for acclimation. The results from these studies have implications for the methodology used in biodegradation test systems and suggest caution before adopting a multiple‐flask, enrichment acclimation procedure before the performance of standardized tests for aerobic biodegradability.

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Section: Biodegradationcontrasting

confidence: 90%

Section: Introductioncontrasting

confidence: 90%

Section: Biodegradationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A COMPARISON of the effects of two methods of acclimation on aerobic biodegradability

Watson

1993

Enviro Toxic and Chemistry

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“…At the same time, NTA was efficiently eliminated (>85%) in all plants investigated. Also, several laboratory studies with inocula collected from industrial or municipal wastewater treatment systems consistently demonstrated the recalcitrance of EDTA [138–141]. However, efficient EDTA elimination of about 80% in an industrial wastewater treatment plant has been reported lately [142].…”

Section: Microbial Degradation Of Apcas During Wastewater Treatment mentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental fate and microbial degradation of aminopolycarboxylic acids

2001

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Aminopolycarboxylic acids (APCAs) have the ability to form stable, water-soluble complexes with di- and trivalent metal ions. For that reason, synthetic APCAs are used in a broad range of domestic products and industrial applications to control solubility and precipitation of metal ions. Because most of these applications are water-based, APCAs are disposed of in wastewater and reach thus sewage treatment plants and the environment, where they undergo abiotic and/or biotic degradation processes. Recently, also natural APCAs have been described which are produced by plants or micro-organisms and are involved in the metal uptake by these organisms. For the two most widely used APCAs, nitrilotriacetate (NTA) and ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA), transformation and mineralisation processes have been studied rather well, while for other xenobiotic APCAs and for the naturally occurring APCAs little is known on their fate in the environment. Whereas NTA is mainly degraded by bacteria under both oxic and anoxic conditions, biodegradation is apparently of minor importance for the environmental fate of EDTA. Photodegradation of iron(III)-complexed EDTA is supposed to be mostly responsible for its elimination. Isolation of a number of NTA- and EDTA-utilising bacterial strains has been reported and the spectrum of APCAs utilised by the different isolates indicates that some of them are able to utilise a range of different APCAs whereas others seem to be restricted to one compound. The two best characterised obligately aerobic NTA-utilising genera (Chelatobacter and Chelatococcus) are members of the alpha-subgroup of Proteobacteria. There is good evidence that they are present in fairly high numbers in surface waters, soils and sewage treatment plants. The key enzymes involved in NTA degradation in Chelatobacter and Chelatococcus have been isolated and characterised. The two first catabolic steps are catalysed by a monooxygenase (NTA MO) and a membrane-bound iminodiacetate dehydrogenase. NTA MO has been cloned and sequenced and its regulation as a function of growth conditions has been studied. Under denitrifying conditions, NTA catabolism is catalysed by a NTA dehydrogenase. EDTA breakdown was found to be initiated by a MO also which shares many characteristics with NTA MO from strictly aerobic NTA-degrading bacteria. In contrast, degradation of [S,S]-ethylenediaminedisuccinate ([S,S]-EDDS), a structural isomer of EDTA, was shown to be catalysed by an EDDS lyase in both an EDTA degrader and in a NTA-utilising Chelatococcus strain. So far, transport of APCAs into cells has only been studied for EDTA and the results obtained give strong evidence for an energy-dependent carrier system and Ca(2+) seems to be co-transported with EDTA. Due to their metal-complexing capacities, APCAs occur in the environment mostly in the metal-complexed form. Hence, the influence of metal speciation on various degradation processes is of utmost importance to understand the environmental behaviour of these compounds. In case of biodegradation, th...

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“…The available data from aerobic biodegradation studies suggest that EG, 1,2-PG, and DEG are relatively nonpersistent in sur-face waters, with aerobic biodegradation half-lives ranging from less than 2 to 18, 2.5 to 9, and 3.5 to Ž greater than 20 d, respectively Buzzell et al, 1968;Price et al, 1974;Evans and David, 1974;Haines and Alexander, 1975;Freitag et al, 1985;Verschueren, . 1985;Boatman et al, 1986;Kaplan et al, 1982 . The aerobic biodegradation rate of glycols is tem-Ž . perature dependent.…”

Section: Environmental Fatementioning

confidence: 99%

Canadian water quality guidelines for glycols-An ecotoxicological review of glycols and associated aircraft anti-icing and deicing fluids

et al. 1999

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This paper reviews the environmental fate, chemistry and toxicology of ethylene, propylene, and diethylene glycol, and their associated aircraft deicing/anti‐icing fluids. Ethylene glycol is currently the most prevalent glycol in Canada with high volume production and primary uses in deicing fluid and antifreeze mixtures and minor uses in polyester manufacturing. Propylene glycol use in Canada is concentrated in resin and polyester production whereas diethylene glycol is primarily used as a dehydrator in the natural gas industry. Glycols are miscible in water, and have very low log Kow, and log Koc values, which make these substances highly mobile. Aerobic biodegradation is the most important environmental fate process affecting glycols in waters and soils with available information demonstrating low persistence. Canadian monitoring data is limited to ethylene glycol where it has been routinely detected in stormwater runoff at airports. Glycols have relatively low aquatic toxicity, with algae being more sensitive than vertebrates or invertebrates. The most sensitive response recorded for ethylene glycol exposure was a 96‐h LOEC of 1923.4 mg L−1 for the green alga Selenastrum capricornutum. Aircraft deicing/anti‐icing fluids were more toxic than pure glycols. The most sensitive recorded response was a 96‐h LC50 of 18 mg L−1 for the fathead minnow Pimephales promelas, following exposure to a propylene glycol based anti‐icing fluid. The review details the development and derivation of the Canadian Water Quality Guidelines for glycols, including numerical concentrations for the protection of aquatic life. ©1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Environ Toxicol 14: 481–522, 1999

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A method for measuring the biodegradation of organic chemicals

Cited by 34 publications

References 9 publications

A COMPARISON of the effects of two methods of acclimation on aerobic biodegradability

A COMPARISON of the effects of two methods of acclimation on aerobic biodegradability

Environmental fate and microbial degradation of aminopolycarboxylic acids

Canadian water quality guidelines for glycols-An ecotoxicological review of glycols and associated aircraft anti-icing and deicing fluids

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