Aerobic biodegradation of bisphenol A in river sediment and associated bacterial community change

Abstract

Bisphenol A (BPA) is one of the commonly detected endocrine-disrupting chemicals in the environment. Biodegradation plays a major role in elimination of BPA pollution in the environment. However, information on the structure of BPA-degrading microbial community is still lacking. In this study, microcosms with different treatments were constructed to investigate the microbial community structure in river sediment and its shift during BPA biodegradation. BPA could be quickly depleted in the BPA-spiked sediment. BPA amendment had a significant impact on sediment bacterial community, influenced by dosage levels. Gammaproteobacteria and Alphaproteobacteria were the predominant bacterial groups in BPA-degrading sediment microcosm. A consortium of microorganisms from different bacterial genera might be involved in BPA biodegradation in river sediment. This study provides some new insights towards BPA biodegradation and microbial ecology in BPA-degrading environment.