Phenol Degradation Pathway Research Articles

Isolation, characterization and growth kinetics of phenol hyper-tolerant bacteria from sewage-fed aquaculture system

Pollution of aquatic resources is increasing day-by-day, and phenolic compounds are common pollutants negatively impacting aquatic biodiversity and production. This study aimed at isolation of phenol hyper-tolerant bacteria from polluted aquaculture resource so that they might be useful in aquaculture systems. Four phenol hyper-tolerant bacterial strains were isolated from sewage fed East Kolkata Wetlands, a Ramsar site. By 16S rDNA sequence, cell morphology and biochemical characteristics the strains PDB2, PDB13, PDB16, and PDB26 were identified as Acinetobacter sp., Acinetobacter junii, Pseudomonas citronellolis, and Bacillus cereus, respectively. Pseudomonas citronellolis strain PDB16, described in this study, is possibly the first report of phenol hyper-tolerant strain in this species. All the four strains degraded 600 mg L−1 phenol within 5 days and expressed catechol 1,2-dioxygenase but lacked catechol 2,3-dioxygenase enzyme suggesting that the bacteria used the ortho-cleavage pathway for phenol degradation. In growth kinetic study Edwards and Aiba model, rather than the most popular Haldane model, gave the best fit indicating behavioral divergence of these strains with those from petroleum contaminated environments. The phenol degrading bacteria isolated from a polluted sewage fed aquaculture system might be useful in degradation and remediation of polluted aquaculture resources as well as inland open waters.

Degradation of phenol with heterogeneous catalytic ozonation enhanced by high gravity technology

In order to intensify the mass transfer of ozone and improve organic mineralization efficiency of heterogeneous catalytic ozonation, a rotating packed bed (RPB) reactor with heterogeneous catalytic ozonation was performed to mineralize phenol wastewater with the Fe–Mn–Cu/γ-Al2O3 catalyst (Cat) as packing. The effects of the high gravity factor (β), liquid flow rate (QL), initial pH, inlet ozone concentration (CO3), and phenol concentration (Cphe) on the phenol mineralization were investigated. The experimental results determined the optimal process regime involving a high gravity factor of 40, a phenol concentration of 100 mg/L, an inlet ozone concentration of 60 mg/L, a gas flow rate of 60 L/h, an initial pH of 6 and liquid flow rate of 85 L/h. After the wastewater was treated for 30 min, the total organic carbon removal rate (ηTOC) reached 96.42%. Compared with the performance of the Cat/O3-BR (bubbling reactor) and RPB-O3 system, the high gravity technology could increase the ηTOC related with the phenol wastewater by 21% and 57.27%, respectively. Possible reaction mechanism of Cat/O3-RPB system was proposed to be hydroxyl radical oriented by adding tert-butanol reagent and electron paramagnetic resonance technology, and a plausible degradation pathway of phenol was proposed and discussed. In conclusion, it can be observed that the coupling of RPB and heterogeneous catalytic ozonation technology to mineralize phenol wastewater is an effective method.

Characterization of a pH-Tolerant Strain Cobetia sp. SASS1 and Its Phenol Degradation Performance Under Salinity Condition.

Biological treatment of complex saline phenolic wastewater remains a great challenge due to the low activity of bacterial populations under stressful conditions. Acid mine drainage (AMD) as a typically extreme environment, shaped unique AMD microbial communities. Microorganisms survived in the AMD environment have evolved various mechanisms of resistance to low pH, high salinity and toxic heavy metals. The primary goal of this work was to determine whether a strain isolated from an AMD could degrade phenol under stressful conditions such as low pH, high salinity and heavy metals. The results suggested that the strain Cobetia sp. SASS1 isolated from AMD presented different physiological characteristics in comparison with five most closely related species. SASS1 can efficiently degrade phenol at wide ranges of pH (3.0–9.0) and NaCl concentration (0–40 g/L), as well as the existence of Cu2+ and Mn2+. Specifically, the SASS1 could completely degrade 1500 mg/L phenol in 80 h at 10 g/L NaCl. Meanwhile, mineralization of phenol was achieved with complete degradation of 900 mg/L phenol and simultaneously COD decreasing from 2239 mg/L to 181.6 mg/L in 36 h. Based on biodegradation metabolites identification and enzyme activities analysis, both ortho-cleavage pathway and benzoic acid pathway for phenol degradation were proposed. These findings suggested that SASS1 was an efficient phenol degrader under salinity and acidic conditions, and could be considered as key population for bioremediation of industrial phenolic wastewaters under stressful conditions.

Electrode potential regulates phenol degradation pathways in oxygen-diffused microbial electrochemical system

Bioelectrochemical technologies are found to be effective to degrade bio-toxic pollutants such as phenol under micro-oxygen condition. However, the mechanism on how electrode potential regulate phenol biodegradation under this condition is still not clear. In order to systematically investigate this process, the metabolic pathways were discussed under different electrode potentials according to microbial community and catabolite analyses in oxygen-diffused microbial electrochemical systems (MESs). The applied potential at 0 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) shortened the degradation time by 36% at 66 h in oxygen-diffused systems, while the lack of oxygen resulted in an incomplete degradation (48 ± 8% at 90 h). According to the phenol degradation under a potential ranging from −0.4 V to 0.4 V, a more positive electrode potential favored a higher phenol degradation rate, which resulted from the upregulation of four metabolic pathways, namely, benzoate degradation via CoA ligation, pyruvate metabolism, glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism, and glycolysis or gluconeogenesis. The enhanced production of intermediates such as acetate (0 V) and formate (0 and −0.2 V) stimulated the growth of both phenol-degraded bacteria (PDB) and electroactive bacteria (mainly Geobacter spp.) in the biofilm but not the suspension. Here we concluded that the fast and complete degradation of phenol in MES needed oxygen, and the metabolism pathways as well as the main metabolites were regulated by the electrode potential.

Ozonation catalyzed by iron- and/or manganese-supported granular activated carbons for the treatment of phenol

Iron- and/or manganese-supported catalysts on granular activated carbons (Fe and/or Mn/GACs) were prepared, and their catalytic activities were evaluated by using them to treat phenol and secondary petrochemical effluent via ozonation. The presence of Fe and/or Mn/GACs significantly improved the degradation and degree of phenol mineralization. Changes in dissolved ozone concentrations and the effects of carbonate and tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) indicated that the prepared catalyst enhanced the decomposition of ozone into hydroxyl radicals (·OH), which was determined to be a key factor in catalyzing the ozonation of phenol. Typical intermediate products were identified by GC-MS and HPLC analysis, and a possible degradation pathway of phenol via catalytic ozonation was proposed. The results of XPS, CV, and other experimental data indicated that introducing Fe and/or Mn increased the rate of ozone decomposition into ·OH, and also enhanced the interfacial electron transfer by Fe2+-Fe3+ and Mn2+-Mn3+-Mn4+ redox cycles, resulting in higher catalytic activity. However, the Fe-Mn/GAC surface was shown to undergo galvanic corrosion between Fe3O4 and MnO2, decreasing the catalytic activity. In addition, catalytic ozonation was used to treat secondary petrochemical effluent. The results demonstrated that the Mn/GAC/O3 system significantly improved the quality of phenol-containing wastewater in terms of its COD, TOC, NH4+-N, water color, and ecotoxicity. This study gives a better understanding of the phenol treatment by catalytic ozonation using Fe and/or Mn/GAC.

Hierarchically-Structured TiO2/MnO2 Hollow Spheres Exhibiting the Complete Mineralization of Phenol

Although TiO2 or MnO2-based materials have been widely used for the degradation of phenolic compounds, complete mineralization is still a challenge, especially for TiO2-based materials. Here, we devise a hierarchically-structured TiO2/MnO2 (HTM) hollow sphere, in which hollow TiO2 acts as a skeleton for the deposition of MnO2 in order to prevent the aggregation of MnO2 nanoparticles and to maintain its hollow structure. During the oxidation reaction, the as-synthesized HTM can fully exert their respective advantages of the TiO2 and MnO2 species to realize the first stage of the rapid oxidation degradation of phenol and the second stage of the complete photo-mineralization of residual phenol and its intermediates, which efficiently overcomes the incomplete mineralization of phenolic compounds. The degradation mechanism and pathway of phenol are also proposed according to the analysis of Mass Spectrometry (MS). Therefore, this work provides a new insight for exploring hierarchically-structured materials with two or more species.

The efficiency and mechanism in a novel electro-Fenton process assisted by anodic photocatalysis on advanced treatment of coal gasification wastewater

A novel dual-chamber photo-electrochemical oxidation system with Fe@Fe2O3/CF cathode was constructed bycombining cathodic electro-Fenton and anodic photocatalysis for advanced treatment of biologically pretreated coal gasification wastewater (CGW). In the electro-Fenton cathode chamber, maximal chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency of 84.2% was arrived within 120 min at current density 10 mA/cm2, initial pH 3 and air flow rate 0.4 L/min for its initial concentration of 200 mg/L. Correspondingly, the effluent concentration of COD, BOD5, TOC and total phenols were 31.5, 3.9, 8.4 and 13.8 mg/L respectively, satisfying the stringent wastewater discharge standard. Moreover, the H2O2 concentration change and wastewater acute toxicity were analyzed. Furthermore, a reasonable degradation mechanism was proposed based on the contribution of hydroxyl radicals (OH), and thus degradation pathway of phenol as typical pollutant was also speculated. The integrated system is confirmed to be high-effective and stable, and thus it is a potentially promising alternative for treatment toxic refractory industrial wastewater.

Enzymes involved in the anaerobic degradation of phenol by the sulfate-reducing bacterium Desulfatiglans anilini

BackgroundThe sulfate-reducing bacterium Desulfatiglans anilini can grow with phenol as sole source of carbon and energy under strictly anaerobic, sulfate-reducing conditions. In the nitrate-reducing bacterium Thauera aromatica, the enzymes involved in phenol degradation have been well elucidated, whereas the anaerobic phenol degradation pathway by D. anilini was not studied in detail yet.ResultsThe pathway of anaerobic phenol degradation by the sulfate-reducing bacterium Desulfatiglans anilini was studied by identification of genes coding for phenylphosphate synthase (encoded by pps genes) and phenylphosphate carboxylase (encoded by ppc genes) in the genome of D. anilini, by analysis of the transcription and translation of pps-ppc genes, and by measurement of phenylphosphate synthase activity in cell-free extracts of phenol-grown cells. The majority of genes involved in phenol degradation were found to be organized in one gene cluster. The gene cluster contained genes ppsα (phenylphosphate synthase alpha subunit), ppsβ (phenylphosphate synthase beta subunit), ppcβ (phenylphosphate carboxylase beta subunit), as well as 4-hydroxybenzoyl-CoA ligase and 4-hydroxylbenzoyl-CoA reductase-encoding genes. The genes ppsγ (phenylphosphate synthase gamma subunit), ppcα (phenylphosphate carboxylase alpha subunit) and ppcδ (phenylphosphate carboxylase delta subunit) were located elsewhere in the genome of D. anilini, and no obvious homologue of ppcγ (phenylphosphate carboxylase gamma subunit) was found in the genome. Induction of genes pps and ppc during growth on phenol was confirmed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Total proteome analysis revealed that the abundance of enzymes encoded by the gene cluster under study was much higher in phenol-grown cells than that in benzoate-grown cells. In in-vitro enzyme assays with cell-free extracts of phenol-grown cells, phenylphosphate was formed from phenol in the presence of ATP, Mg2+, Mn2+, K+ as co-factors.ConclusionsThe genes coding for enzymes involved in the anaerobic phenol degradation pathway were identified in the sulfate-reducing bacterium D. anilini. The results indicate that the first steps of anaerobic phenol degradation in D. anilini are phosphorylation of phenol to phenylphosphate by phenylphosphate synthase and carboxylation of phenylphosphate by phenylphosphate carboxylase.

Biogenic manganese oxide: An efficient peroxymonosulfate activation catalyst for tetracycline and phenol degradation in water

From the view of environment and easy availability, to develop the most efficient manganese oxide for peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation is of great importance for the degradation of recalcitrant organic pollutants. In this study, biogenic manganese oxide (BioMnOx) exhibited an unprecedented efficiency than the most efficient 3D α-Mn2O3 prepared by chemical method. 100% of phenol degradation at 40 min and 99.4% of tetracycline removal at 60 min were achieved over BioMnOx with PMS, which was 3-fold faster than 3D α-Mn2O3. BioMnOx also has an excellent long-term stability and good performance toward the pollutants degradation at a wide pH range of 3.0–9.0. Most importantly, 1O2 was identified as the primary reactive species in BioMnOx/PMS system based on the trapping experiment and EPR analysis. The PMS activation over BioMnOx should follow a self-decomposition and energy quenching mechanism instead of electron transfer process as confirmed by the XPS analysis. Finally, the degradation pathways of tetracycline and phenol by 1O2 over BioMnOx were proposed according to HPLC and HPLC-MS results, which are greatly different from that by OH oxidation in the literature.

Degradation of phenol via ortho-pathway by Kocuria sp. strain TIBETAN4 isolated from the soils around Qinghai Lake in China.

Based on the feature of high-altitude permafrost topography and the diverse microbial ecological communities of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, soil samples from thirteen different collection points around Qinghai lake were collected to screen for extremophilic strains with the ability to degrade phenol, and one bacterial strain recorded as TIBETAN4 that showed effective biodegradation of phenol was isolated and identified. TIBETAN4 was closely related to Kocuria based on its observed morphological, molecular and biochemical characteristics. TIBETAN4 grew well in the LB medium at pH 7–9 and 0–4% NaCl showing alkalophilicity and halophilism. The isolate could also tolerate up to 12.5 mM phenol and could degrade 5 mM phenol within 3 days. It maintained a high phenol degradation rate at pH 7–9 and 0–3% NaCl in MSM with 5 mM phenol added as the sole carbon source. Moreover, TIBETAN4 could maintain efficient phenol degradation activity in MSM supplemented with both phenol and glucose and complex water environments, including co-culture Penicillium strains or selection of non-sterilized natural lake water as a culture. It was found that TIBETAN4 showed enzymatic activity of phenol hydroxylase and catechol 1,2-dioxygenase after induction by phenol and the corresponding genes of the two enzymes were detected in the genome of the isolate, while catechol 2,3-dioxygenase or its gene was not, which means there could be a degradation pathway of phenol through the ortho-pathway. The Q-PCR results showed that the transcripts of both the phenol hydroxylase gene and catechol 1,2-dioxygenase gene were up-regulated under the stimulation of phenol, demonstrating again that the strain degraded phenol via ortho-degradation pathway.

Enhanced catalytic activity of α-FeOOH-rGO supported on active carbon fiber (ACF) for degradation of phenol and quinolone in the solar-Fenton system

A new heterogeneous solar-Fenton catalyst, α-FeOOH-reduced graphene oxide (rGO) supported on active carbon fiber (ACF), was synthesized via in situ electrophoretic deposition in a self-assembly process. Optimization of the components (electrophoretic deposition time of GO and Fe, GO dosages), the effect of pH and the catalysts stability were investigated systematically. The results indicated that rGO-α-FeOOH composite is formed during the ferrous-ion-induced self-assembly process on ACF. FeOOH-rGO/ACF displayed excellent catalytic activity for degrading phenol and quinoline under the solar-driven photo-Fenton process in a wide range of pH values (4.5–9.5) and possess good stability in neutral condition. The phenol oxidation process on this catalyst was described by a pseudo-first-order kinetics model. Both the ACF support and solar irradiation promoted greater H2O2 decomposition and produced more OH radicals, thus, significantly improving the catalytic capacity. The introduction of graphene improved the catalytic capacity of the catalyst under solar irradiation. The optimal electrophoretic deposition time of GO and the optimal Fe and initial GO content in deposition were 10 min, 9.8 wt% and 15.0 wt%, respectively. The degradation pathways of phenol and quinoline in the solar-driven photo-Fenton process were also elucidated.

Effect of ammonia on gasification performances of phenol in supercritical water

The solutions of phenol and the mixture of phenol and ammonia were gasified in a continuous supercritical water reactor to evaluate the influences of ammonia on the hydrogen production and the degradation pathways of phenol. The effects of temperature (560–640°C), reaction time (2–20s) and concentration of ammonia (500–2000mg/L) on gaseous distributions, gasification efficiencies and reactants removal efficiencies were investigated. In addition, the effects of ammonia on the kinds of intermediate products were analyzed. Results showed that the increasing temperature greatly promoted the hydrogen production and degradation of phenol. Longer reaction time gave a positive effect on gasification efficiencies in 10s, while the effect was little when the reaction time longer than 10s. Ammonia prevented the production of hydrogen and the degradation of phenol, which was mainly due to the generation of more stable nitrogen polycyclic compounds. The possible degradation pathways for the mixture of phenol and ammonia were proposed.

A comparative study on the activity of TiO2 in pulsed plasma under different discharge conditions

In the present study, a combination of pulsed discharge plasma and TiO2 (plasma/TiO2) has been developed in order to study the activity of TiO2 by varying the discharge conditions of pulsed voltage, discharge mode, air flow rate and solution conductivity. Phenol was used as the chemical probe to characterize the activity of TiO2 in a pulsed discharge system. The experimental results showed that the phenol removal efficiency could be improved by about 10% by increasing the applied voltage. The phenol removal efficiency for three discharge modes in the plasma-discharge-alone system was found to be highest in the spark mode, followed by the spark–streamer mode and finally the streamer mode. In the plasma/TiO2 system, the highest catalytic effect of TiO2 was observed in the spark–streamer discharge mode, which may be attributed to the favorable chemical and physical effects from the spark–streamer discharge mode, such as ultraviolet light, O3, H2O2, pyrolysis, shockwaves and high-energy electrons. Meanwhile, the optimal flow rate and conductivity were 0.05 m3 l−1 and 10 μS cm−1, respectively. The main phenolic intermediates were hydroquinone, catechol, and p-benzoquinone during the discharge treatment process. A different phenol degradation pathway was observed in the plasma/TiO2 system as compared to plasma alone. Analysis of the reaction intermediates demonstrated that p-benzoquinone reduction was selectively catalyzed on the TiO2 surface. The effective decomposition of phenol constant (De) increased from 74.11% to 79.16% when TiO2 was added, indicating that higher phenol mineralization was achieved in the plasma/TiO2 system.

Enhanced visible light photoelectrocatalytic degradation of organic contaminants by F and Sn co-doped TiO2 photoelectrode

The photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) technology has received considerable attention in the degradation of organic pollutants for its high degradation efficiency and cost effectiveness. In this study, we developed a PEC method with F and Sn co-doped TiO2 (FTS) as photoelectrodes, exhibiting an excellent PEC performance in degradation of phenol and landfill leachate under visible light irradiation and low-bias voltage. The enhanced PEC performance was mainly ascribed to the creation of a great amount of active species (such as h+ and OH) by F and Sn co-doping. The h+ and OH played a dominant role, and the roles of which were not significantly affected by Sn doping in the PEC process. The PEC degradation mechanism of phenol was further investigated by the Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetic model and the addition of scavengers. The results indicated that the h+-created OH were mainly generated from the adsorbed OH−, and phenol was mainly degraded in the state of the ionization (C6H5O−) by the active species (h+ and OH). Furthermore, the degradation pathway of phenol was proposed according to intermediates in the PEC process.

Phenol degradation using an anodized graphene-doped TiO2 nanotube composite under visible light

TiO2 nanotubes (TNTs) were doped with reduced graphene oxide (RGO) via anodization. The synthesized catalyst was characterized by FE-SEM, XRD, AES, PL, Raman, and UV–vis DRS. We have synthesized the catalyst with different RGO doping time and RGO concentration. The optimum synthesis conditions for RGO doping were a 0.5gL−1 RGO anodization at 60V for 1min. Compared with un-doped TNTs, the RGO-doped TNT photocatalyst showed a 3.8-fold higher photocatalytic activity, while phenol degradation under visible light irradiation. Optimum phenol degradation was observed at an external bias of 0.5V using a photoelectrocatalytic method, and this degradation rate was 3.5-fold higher than that observed for un-doped TNTs. The intermediate products of phenol were also analyzed using TD-GC-MS method to evaluate the phenol degradation pathways. The RGO-doped TNTs reduced the recombination of photo-induced e- and h+ and thus increased the formation of the OH radicals and superoxides that degrade phenol.

Biodegradation of phenol via meta cleavage pathway triggers de novo TAG biosynthesis pathway in oleaginous yeast

Phenol is reported to be one of the most toxic environmental pollutants present in the discharge of various industrial effluents causing a serious threat to the existing biome. Biodegradation of phenol by oleaginous yeast Rhodosporidium kratochvilovae HIMPA1 was found to degrade 1000mg/l phenol. The pathways for phenol degradation by both ortho and meta-cleavage were proposed by the identification of metabolites and enzymatic assays of ring cleavage enzymes in the cell extracts. Results suggest that this oleaginous yeast degrade phenol via meta-cleavage pathway and accumulates a high quantity of lipid content (64.92%; wt/wt) as compared to control glucose synthetic medium (GSM). Meta-cleavage pathway of phenol degradation leads to formation of pyruvate and acetaldehyde. Both these end products feed as precursors for de novo triacylglycerols (TAG) biosynthesis pathway which causes accumulation of TAG in the lipid droplets (LD) of 6.12±0.78μm grown on phenol while 2.38±0.52μm observed on GSM. This was confirmed by fluorescence microscopic images of BODIPY505-515nm stained live yeast cells. GC–MS analysis of extracted total lipid showed enhanced amount of monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) which was as 51.87%, 58.33% and 62.98% in presence of 0.5, 0.75 and 1g/l of phenol.

A novel electro-catalytic degradation method of phenol wastewater with Ti/IrO2-Ta2O5 anodes in high-gravity fields.

In the electro-catalytic degradation process of phenol wastewater, bubbles and mass transfer limitation will result in the decrease in wastewater degradation efficiency, a long electrolysis time and a high energy consumption. Self-made Ti/IrO2-Ta2O5 anodes and a high-gravity electro-catalytic reactor were used to improve them. The Ti/IrO2-Ta2O5 anode was prepared with a thermal decomposition method and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Under optimum conditions, the removal efficiencies of phenol, total organic carbon (TOC) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) respectively reached 94.77%, 50.96% and 41.2% after 2 h electrolysis in the high-gravity field, which were respectively 10.93%, 16.72% and 24.84% higher than those in the normal gravity field. For about the same removal efficiencies, the electrolysis time and energy consumed in the high-gravity field were 33.3% and 15.4% lower than those consumed in the normal gravity field, respectively. The degradation pathway of phenol detected by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was unchanged in the high-gravity field, but the degradation rate of phenol increased. The Ti/IrO2-Ta2O5 anode provided good stability because the removal efficiencies of phenol and TOC decreased slightly and the surface morphology of the coating was almost unchanged when it had been used in electrolysis for 11 months, about 1,200 h, in the high-gravity field. Results indicated that the phenol wastewater degradation efficiency was improved, the time was shortened, and the energy consumption was reduced in the high-gravity field.

Meta-cleavage pathway of phenol degradation by Acinetobacter sp. strain AQ5NOL 1

The characterization of bacterial enzymatic pathways of phenol metabolism is important to better understand phenol biodegradation. Phenol hydroxylase is the first enzyme involved in the oxidative metabolism of phenol, followed by further degradation via either meta- or ortho-pathways. In this study, the first known instance of phenol degradation via the meta-pathway by a member of the genus Acinetobacter (Acinetobacter sp. strain AQ5NOL 1) is reported. Phenol hydroxylase converts phenol to catechol, which is then converted via the meta-pathway to 2-hydroxymuconic semialdehyde by the catechol 2,3-dioxygenase enzyme. Phenol hydroxylase extracted from strain AQ5NOL 1 was fully purified using DEAE-Sepharose®, DEAE-Sephadex®, Q-Sepharose® and Zorbax® Bioseries GF-250 gel filtration and was demonstrated by SDS-PAGE to have a molecular weight of 50 kDa. The phenol hydroxylase was purified to about 210.51 fold. The optimum pH and temperature for enzyme activities are 20 °C and 7–7.5, respectively. The apparent K m and V max values of phenol hydroxylase with phenol as the substrate were 13.4 µM and 2.5 µmol min−1 mg−1, respectively. The enzyme was stable at −20 °C for 36 days.

Study of the paracetamol degradation pathway that generates color and turbidity in oxidized wastewaters by photo-Fenton technology

Abstract This study aims determining the effect that certain kind of water contaminants have on the changes of turbidity during their oxidation. Phenol is considered by its frequent presence in industrial discharges; meanwhile paracetamol is representative of emerging pollutants of pharmaceutical origin. Quite different results are observed in the turbidity changes during the oxidation of both pollutants that evolve following the kinetics of a reaction intermediate. The analysis of paracetamol and phenol degradation pathways reveals that operating conditions are important in the formation of intermediates that cause turbidity. The maximum turbidity levels are achieved operating at the ratios 12 mol HO per 100 mg contaminant. However the turbidity generated during the paracetamol oxidation only reaches a third of the intensity achieved with phenol. During the paracetamol degradation, the intermediates causing turbidity are similar to the ones found during the phenol decomposition. These species are generated during the initial minutes of oxidation and possess structures of large size and molecular weight. At the maximum turbidity point, muconic acid and hydroquinone are identified and found to coexist with other compounds such as pyrogallol and resorcinol. Therefore, the path involving metasubstitution would be the main originator of turbidity. It is noteworthy the rapid formation of muconic acid that coexists with resorcinol-like species. These compounds enable the establishment of hydrogen bond interactions that yield supramolecular structures.

Biotechnological tools to improve bioremediation of phenol by Acinetobacter sp. RTE1.4

ABSTRACTThe use of native bacteria is a useful strategy to decontaminate industrial effluents as well as the environment. Acinetobacter sp. RTE1.4 was previously isolated from polluted environments and constitutes a promising alternative for this purpose due to its capability to remove phenol from synthetic solutions and industrial effluents. In this work, this strain was identified at species level as A. tandoii RTE1.4. Phenol degradation pathway was studied and some reaction intermediates were detected, confirming that this strain degraded phenol through ortho-cleavage of the aromatic ring. Phenol removal assays were carried out in a stirred tank bioreactor and a complete degradation of the contaminant was achieved after only 7 h, at an aeration rate of 3 vvm and at agitation of 600 rpm. Moreover, this bacterium was immobilized into calcium alginate beads and an increase in phenol biodegradation with respect to free cells was observed. The immobilized cells were reused for four consecutive cycles and stored at 4°C for 9 months, during which phenol removal efficiency was maintained. Post-removal solutions were evaluated by Microtox® test, showing a toxicity reduction after bacterial treatment. These findings demonstrated that A. tandoii RTE1.4 might be considered as a useful biotechnological tool for an efficient treatment of different solutions contaminated with phenol in bioreactors, using either free or immobilized cells.