Aerobic and anaerobic biodegradation of nonylphenol ethoxylates in estuary sediment of Yangtze River, China

Abstract

The biodegradation behavior of nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEOs) in estuary sediment of Yangtze River, China, was investigated. NPEOs were readily degraded in the estuary sediment under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. The highest biodegradation rate constants for the aerobic biodegradation and anaerobic biodegradation were 0.333 and 0.194 day−1, respectively. Anaerobic biodegradation of NPEOs in estuary sediment was enhanced under sulfate-reducing or nitrate-reducing conditions. The biodegradation constants increased by 23.4 and 56.7% in sulfate-adding treatment and nitrate-adding treatment, respectively. NPEOs were biodegraded through the terminal oxidative pathway in estuary sediment under aerobic conditions while these compounds were biodegraded through the non-oxidative pathway under anaerobic conditions. Estrogenic intermediates were formed during NPEO biodegradation under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Both treatments reached their highest estrogenicities on day 21. Short-chain nonylphenol ethoxycarboxylates (NPECs), which were feasibly mobile, were only formed under aerobic conditions.