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PubMed2005

Quantitative molecular assay for fingerprinting microbial communities of wastewater and estrogen-degrading consortia.

A quantitative fingerprinting method, called the real-time terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (real-time-t-RFLP) assay, was developed for simultaneous determination of microbial diversity and abundance within a complex community. The real-time-t-RFLP assay was developed by incorporating the quantitative feature of real-time PCR and the fingerprinting feature of t-RFLP analysis. The assay was validated by using a model microbial community containing three pure strains, an Escherichia coli strain (gram negative), a Pseudomonas fluorescens strain (gram negative), and a Bacillus thuringiensis strain (gram positive). Subsequently, the real-time-t-RFLP assay was applied to and proven to be useful for environmental samples; the richness and abundance of species in microbial communities (expressed as the number of 16S rRNA gene copies of each ribotype per milliliter) of wastewater and estrogen-degrading consortia (enriched with 17alpha-estradiol, 17beta-estradiol, or estrone) were successfully characterized. The results of this study strongly suggested that the real-time-t-RFLP assay can be a powerful molecular tool for gaining insight into microbial communities in various engineered systems and natural habitats.

Bacillus thuringiensis↗

PubMed2005

[A pilot study for the assessment of pharmaceuticals as water contaminants].

Pharmaceuticals and their metabolites can reach water bodies through sewage systems, industrial discharges, effluents from sewage treatment facilities, aquaculture and livestock farming. Pharmaceuticals include a huge number of substances which are very different as regards their chemical and physical properties and environmental behaviour, although they many have a potent biochemical activity. At present, pharmaceuticals can reach levels of ng-microg l(-1) and some are considered ubiquitous. Nevertheless, their presence in the aquatic environment and their impact on aquatic biota and on human health have not yet been adequately studied. There is some experimental evidence that pharmaceuticals may cause harmful effects such as morphological and metabolic alterations on aquatic species and induction of antibiotic-resistance in aquatic pathogenic bacteria. Risk assessment studies are in progress.

Animals↗

PubMed2001

Evaluation of natural attenuation rate at a gasoline spill site.

Contamination of groundwater by gasoline and other petroleum-derived hydrocarbons released from underground storage tanks (USTs) is a serious and widespread environmental problem. Natural attenuation is a passive remedial approach that depends upon natural processes to degrade and dissipate contaminants in soil and groundwater. Currently, in situ column technique, microcosm, and computer modeling have been applied for the natural attenuation rate calculation. However, the subsurface heterogeneity reduces the applicability of these techniques. In this study, a mass flux approach was used to calculate the contaminant mass reduction and field-scale decay rate at a gasoline spill site. The mass flux technique is a simplified mass balance procedure, which is accomplished using the differences in total contaminant mass flux across two cross-sections of the contaminant plume. The mass flux calculation shows that up to 87% of the dissolved total benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) isomers removal was observed via natural attenuation at this site. The efficiency of natural biodegradation was evaluated by the in situ tracer method, and the first-order decay model was applied for the natural attenuation/biodegradation rate calculation. Results reveal that natural biodegradation was the major cause of the BTEX mass reduction among the natural attenuation processes, and approximately 88% of the BTEX removal was due to the natural biodegradation process. The calculated total BTEX first-order attenuation and biodegradation rates were 0.036 and 0.025% per day, respectively. Results suggest that the natural attenuation mechanisms can effectively contain the plume, and the mass flux method is useful in assessing the occurrence and efficiency of the natural attenuation process.

Biodegradation, Environmental↗

PubMed1998

Biosorption of nickel using filamentous fungi.

Nickel (Ni) uptake capability from aqueous solutions was studied in a filamentous fungi strains group of Rhizopus sp., Penicillium sp. Aspergillus sp., Trichoderma sp., Byschoclamyss sp., and Mucor sp. The metal uptake of a Rhizopus sp. strain, which has the highest uptake capacity, was corroborated by electron microscopy; no Ni deposits were observed on the cell wall, but rather a homogeneous accumulation was seen on the cell surface. The influence on the capacity of metal uptake by environmental parameters such as pH, temperature, time, and the interference of other ions in the solution, was also studied. Nickel accumulation by the selected strains is fast, occurring in less than 30 min, and does not require a microorganism's active metabolism to take place. The sorption isotherms were established for the selected fungi, in order to determine the maximum metal uptake capacity. The sorption isotherms were fixed to the mathematical models of Freundlich and Langmuir, obtaining better performance on the Langmuir model.

Aspergillus↗

PubMed2003

Phytoremediation: synergistic use of plants and bacteria to clean up the environment.

Phytoremediation is a relatively new approach to removing contaminants from the environment. It may be defined as the use of plants to remove, destroy or sequester hazardous substances from the environment. Unfortunately, even plants that are relatively tolerant of various environmental contaminants often remain small in the presence of the contaminant. To remedy this situation, plant growth-promoting bacteria that facilitate the proliferation of various plants especially under environmentally stressful conditions may be added to the roots of plants. These bacteria have been selected to lower the level of growth-inhibiting stress ethylene within the plant and also to provide the plant with iron from the soil. The net result of adding these bacteria to plants is a significant increase in both the number of seeds that germinate and the amount of biomass that the plants are able to attain, making phytoremediation in the presence of plant growth-promoting bacteria a much faster and more efficient process.

Biodegradation, Environmental↗

PubMed2007

Application of food waste disposers and alternate cycles process in small-decentralized towns: a case study.

The use of food waste disposers (FWDs) can be an interesting option to integrate the management of municipal wastewaters and household organic waste in small towns and decentralized areas. This strategy can be even more environmentally friendly if a suitable treatment process of the resulting sewage is performed in order to control nutrients emission. However, still nowadays, part of the scientific and technical community considers the application of this technology a possible source of problems. In this study, the FWDs were applied, with a market penetration factor of 67%, in a mountain village of 250 inhabitants. Further, the existing wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) was upgraded by applying an automatically controlled alternate cycles process for the management of nutrients removal. With specific reference to the observed results, the impact of the ground food waste on the sewerage system did not show particular solids sedimentation or significant hydraulic overflows. Further, the WWTP was able to face the overloads of 11, 55 and 2g per capita per day of TSS, COD and TN, respectively. Then, the increase of the readily biodegradable COD (rbCOD/COD from 0.20 to 0.25) and the favourable COD/TN ratio (from 9.9 to 12) led to a specific denitrification rate of some 0.06kgNO(3)-N/(kg MLVSS day). Therefore, not only COD removal, but also the total nitrogen removal increased: the denitrification efficiency reached 85%. That led to a better exploitation of the nitrogen-bound oxygen and a consequent reduction of energy requirements of 39%. The final economic evaluation showed the benefits of the application of this technology with a pay back time of 4-5 years.

Biodegradation, Environmental↗

PubMed2001

The discovery of indoxacarb: oxadiazines as a new class of pyrazoline-type insecticides.

The evolution of the insecticidal pyrazoline moiety that was originally discovered in 1972 has led to the discovery of a new crop insecticide, indoxacarb, which is the first commercialized pyrazoline-type sodium-channel blocker. Both monocyclic and fused-tricyclic pyrazolines and pyridazines, as well as structurally related semicarbazones were examined prior to the discovery of analogous tricyclic oxadiazines which had similarly high activity as well as favorable environmental dissipation rates and low toxicity to non-target organisms. The eventual leading candidate, DPX-JW062, was originally obtained as a racemic molecule, but a chiral synthesis was developed which produces material that is 50% ee in the insecticidal (+)-S-enantiomer (DPX-MP062, indoxacarb).

Animals↗

PubMed1993

Environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM) evaluation of crystal and plaque formation associated with biocorrosion.

The biofilm attributed to Desulfovibrio vulgaris growing in the presence of ferrous metals was examined with an environmental scanning electron microscope. This novel microscope produced images of iron sulfide colloids and other iron containing structures that had not been reported previously. A plaque composed of iron sulfide enveloped the surface of the corroding metal while crystals containing magnesium, iron, sulfur, and phosphorus were present in the culture where corrosion was in progress. A structure resembling the tubercule found in aerobic corrosion was observed on stainless steel undergoing biocorrosion and the elements present in this structure included sulfur, iron, chloride, calcium, potassium, and chromium.

Biodegradation, Environmental↗

PubMed1995

Glyphosate-degrading isolates from environmental samples: occurrence and pathways of degradation.

The metabolism of the organophosphonate herbicide glyphosate was investigated in 163 environmental bacterial strains, obtained by a variety of isolation strategies from sites with or without prior exposure to the compound. Isolates able to use glyphosate as sole phosphorus source were more common at a treated site, but much less abundant than those capable of using the glyphosate metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA). Nevertheless, all 26 strains found to metabolise the herbicide did so via an initial cleavage of its carbon-phosphorus bond to yield sarcosine; no evidence for its metabolism or co-metabolism to AMPA was obtained.

Bacteria↗

PubMed2003

Degradation of benzo[a]pyrene by the litter-decomposing basidiomycete Stropharia coronilla: role of manganese peroxidase.

The litter-decomposing basidiomycete Stropharia coronilla, which preferably colonizes grasslands, was found to be capable of metabolizing and mineralizing benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) in liquid culture. Manganese(II) ions (Mn(2+)) supplied at a concentration of 200 micro M stimulated considerably both the conversion and the mineralization of BaP; the fungus metabolized and mineralized about four and twelve times, respectively, more of the BaP in the presence of supplemental Mn(2+) than in the basal medium. This stimulating effect could be attributed to the ligninolytic enzyme manganese peroxidase (MnP), whose activity increased after the addition of Mn(2+). Crude and purified MnP from S. coronilla oxidized BaP efficiently in a cell-free reaction mixture (in vitro), a process which was enhanced by the surfactant Tween 80. Thus, 100 mg of BaP liter(-1) was converted in an in vitro reaction solution containing 1 U of MnP ml(-1) within 24 h. A clear indication was found that BaP-1,6-quinone was formed as a transient metabolite, which disappeared over the further course of the reaction. The treatment of a mixture of 16 different polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) selected by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as model standards for PAH analysis (total concentration, 320 mg liter(-1)) with MnP resulted in concentration decreases of 10 to 100% for the individual compounds, and again the stimulating effect of Tween 80 was observed. Probably due to their lower ionization potentials, poorly bioavailable, high-molecular-mass PAHs such as BaP, benzo(g,h,i)perylene, and indeno(1,2,3-c,d)pyrene were converted to larger extents than low-molecular-mass ones (e.g., phenanthrene and fluoranthene).

Basidiomycota↗

PubMed2004

Decolorization of reactive azo dyes by Cunninghamella elegans UCP 542 under co-metabolic conditions.

The inappropriate disposal of dyes in wastewater constitutes an environmental problem and can cause damage to the ecosystem. Alternative treatments have been reported that fungi are particularly effective in the decolorization of textile effluents. The decolorization of dyes with different molecular structures by Cunninghamella elegans was evaluated under several media conditions. The decolorization procedures consisted of adding 72 h of mycelium into the culture medium containing either orange or reactive black or reactive red or a mixture of these dyes in the presence or absence of sucrose and/or peptone. The decolorization profile was highly dependent upon the incubation time, the molecular structure of the dye and presence or absence of co-substrates. The presence of sucrose or both sucrose and peptone significantly increased the decolorization of the solutions, however, the presence of only the nitrogen source suppressed it. The ultraviolet spectra of the solutions before and after decolorization suggested the occurrence of biodegradation in addition to the biosorption of the dyes. All tested dyes, except for the reactive black, caused inhibition of respiration of Escherichia coli, which suggested that toxic metabolites were produced.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMed2004

Fate of volatile organic compounds in constructed wastewater treatment wetlands.

The fate of volatile organic compounds was evaluated in a wastewater-dependent constructed wetland near Phoenix, AZ, using field measurements and solute transport modeling. Numerically based volatilization rates were determined using inverse modeling techniques and hydraulic parameters established by sodium bromide tracer experiments. Theoretical volatilization rates were calculated from the two-film method incorporating physicochemical properties and environmental conditions. Additional analyses were conducted using graphically determined volatilization rates based on field measurements. Transport (with first-order removal) simulations were performed using a range of volatilization rates and were evaluated with respect to field concentrations. The inverse and two-film reactive transport simulations demonstrated excellent agreement with measured concentrations for 1,4-dichlorobenzene, tetrachloroethene, dichloromethane, and trichloromethane and fair agreement for dibromochloromethane, bromodichloromethane, and toluene. Wetland removal efficiencies from inlet to outlet ranged from 63% to 87% for target compounds.

Biodegradation, Environmental↗

PubMed2003

Heavy metals in plants and phytoremediation.

GOAL, SCOPE AND BACKGROUND: In some cases, soil, water and food are heavily polluted by heavy metals in China. To use plants to remediate heavy metal pollution would be an effective technique in pollution control. The accumulation of heavy metals in plants and the role of plants in removing pollutants should be understood in order to implement phytoremediation, which makes use of plants to extract, transfer and stabilize heavy metals from soil and water. METHODS: The information has been compiled from Chinese publications stemming mostly from the last decade, to show the research results on heavy metals in plants and the role of plants in controlling heavy metal pollution, and to provide a general outlook of phytoremediation in China. Related references from scientific journals and university journals are searched and summarized in sections concerning the accumulation of heavy metals in plants, plants for heavy metal purification and phytoremediation techniques. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Plants can take up heavy metals by their roots, or even via their stems and leaves, and accumulate them in their organs. Plants take up elements selectively. Accumulation and distribution of heavy metals in the plant depends on the plant species, element species, chemical and bioavailiability, redox, pH, cation exchange capacity, dissolved oxygen, temperature and secretion of roots. Plants are employed in the decontamination of heavy metals from polluted water and have demonstrated high performances in treating mineral tailing water and industrial effluents. The purification capacity of heavy metals by plants are affected by several factors, such as the concentration of the heavy metals, species of elements, plant species, exposure duration, temperature and pH. CONCLUSIONS: Phytoremediation, which makes use of vegetation to remove, detoxify, or stabilize persistent pollutants, is a green and environmentally-friendly tool for cleaning polluted soil and water. The advantage of high biomass productive and easy disposal makes plants most useful to remediate heavy metals on site. RECOMMENDATIONS AND OUTLOOK: Based on knowledge of the heavy metal accumulation in plants, it is possible to select those species of crops and pasturage herbs, which accumulate fewer heavy metals, for food cultivation and fodder for animals; and to select those hyperaccumulation species for extracting heavy metals from soil and water. Studies on the mechanisms and application of hyperaccumulation are necessary in China for developing phytoremediation.

Biodegradation, Environmental↗

PubMed2003

Removal of endocrine disruptors by tertiary treatments and constructed wetlands in subtropical Australia.

The controversial topic of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDC) in aquatic environments is of international and Australian significance with the need for sustainable management of water resources increasing. The issues have been highlighted on the major continents of Europe and North America but so far have received less attention in Australia. A major source of these compounds has been identified as sewage effluent, which is treated prior to release to the environment with a primary focus on pathogen and nutrient removal. Sewage effluent is a complex mixture, which can contain many organic and inorganic compounds some of which may remain after treatment processes. More recently, technologies such as ozonation, UV treatment and advanced filtration have improved the quality of effluent discharged to the environment but there are still unresolved issues relating to poorly understood chemistries relating to EDCs in effluent discharges and the possible impacts in aquatic environments and to human health. This paper reports on an investigation of the removal from sewage effluent of selected chemicals that are known or suspected environmental endocrine disruptors (EEDs) by sand filtration, ozonation and UV treatment at the Landeborough Water Reclamation Plant in Queensland, Australia. Compounds detected in the raw effluent included pesticides, herbicides, some heavy metals and the human hormones 17beta estradiol and estrone. Most of these ware removed by the advanced treatments at the water reclamation plant, with only trace concentrations of some compounds present in the final effluent. Removal of toxicants by a free water surface wetland is also reported on. Some of the constraints of direct chemical measurements are discussed and some solutions proposed.

Australia↗

PubMed2002

Biosurfactants and oil bioremediation.

Oil pollution is an environmental problem of increasing importance. Hydrocarbon-degrading microorganisms, adapted to grow and thrive in oil-containing environments, have an important role in the biological treatment of this pollution. One of the limiting factors in this process is the bioavailability of many fractions of the oil. The hydrocarbon-degrading microorganisms produce biosurfactants of diverse chemical nature and molecular size. These surface-active materials increase the surface area of hydrophobic water-insoluble substrates and increase their bioavailability, thereby enhancing the growth of bacteria and the rate of bioremediation.

Bacteria↗

PubMed2003

Complete lab-scale detoxification of groundwater containing 1,2-dichloroethane.

The suspected carcinogenic solvent 1,2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCA) is the most abundant chlorinated C(2) groundwater pollutant on earth. However, an efficient reductive in situ detoxification technology for this compound is not known. Detoxification results of 1,2-DCA with the recently isolated anaerobic bacterium Desulfitobacterium dichloroeliminans strain DCA1 are presented. First, it was verified that strain DCA1 could compete for nutrients in the presence of fast-growing Enterococcus faecalis; the latter was observed in the enrichment culture from which strain DCA1 was isolated. Subsequently, lab-scale bioaugmentation of the strain to groundwater containing 40 mg 1,2-DCA/l indicated that the bacterium has strong metabolic activity under prevailing environmental conditions, converting the pollutant into ethene. During exponential growth, the maximum 1,2-DCA dechlorination rate exceeded 350 nmol chloride released per min per mg total bacterial protein. Growth and dechlorination within the community with autochthonous bacteria indicated a high competitive strength of strain DCA1. Interestingly this dechlorination process does not produce any toxic byproducts, such as vinyl chloride. Furthermore, complete groundwater detoxification happens within a short time-frame (days) and is robust in terms of bacterial competition, oxygen tolerance, high ionic strength, and pH range.

Biodegradation, Environmental↗

PubMed2000

Enzymology of Phanerochaete chrysosporium with respect to the degradation of recalcitrant compounds and xenobiotics.

The archetypal white-rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium has been shown to degrade a variety of persistent environmental pollutants. Many of the enzymes responsible for pollutant degradation, which are normally involved in the degradation of wood, are extracellular. Thus, P. chrysosporium is able to degrade toxic or insoluble chemicals more efficiently than other microorganisms. P. chrysosporium has a range of oxidative and reductive mechanisms and uses highly reactive, nonspecific redox mediators which increase the number of chemicals that can be effectively degraded. This review gives an overview of the enzymes that are believed to be important for bioremediation and briefly discusses the degradation of some individual chemicals.

Biodegradation, Environmental↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Tolerance to various toxicants by marine bacteria highly resistant to mercury.

Bacteria highly resistant to mercury isolated from seawater and sediment samples were tested for growth in the presence of different heavy metals, pesticides, phenol, formaldehyde, formic acid, and trichloroethane to investigate their potential for growth in the presence of a variety of toxic xenobiotics. We hypothesized that bacteria resistant to high concentrations of mercury would have potential capacities to tolerate or possibly degrade a variety of toxic materials and thus would be important in environmental pollution bioremediation. The mercury-resistant bacteria were found to belong to Pseudomonas, Proteus, Xanthomonas, Alteromonas, Aeromonas, and Enterobacteriaceae. All these environmental bacterial strains tolerant to mercury used in this study were capable of growth at a far higher concentration (50 ppm) of mercury than previously reported. Likewise, their ability to grow in the presence of toxic xenobiotics, either singly or in combination, was superior to that of bacteria incapable of growth in media containing 5 ppm mercury. Plasmid-curing assays done in this study ascertained that resistance to mercury antibiotics, and toxic xenobiotics is mediated by chromosomally borne genes and/or transposable elements rather than by plasmids.

Aeromonas↗