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PubMed2005

Evaluation of environmental burdens associated with sewage treatment processes using life cycle assessment techniques.

Life cycle assessments of a range of wastewater treatment processes have been undertaken. At lower consent standards rotating biological contactors and biological filters exhibit lower environmental burdens for the required functionality than other process options. However, at tighter consents this distinction becomes less clear. Attempts to reduce environmental burdens should focus on operational energy requirements (which dominate burden profiles and, where appropriate, on synthetic materials used for bio-mass growth). However, differences between dry and operational weight, and the consequent size of necessary foundation structures are likely to limit opportunities for reducing overall burden profiles through material substitution. Comparison of processes across population equivalents suggests economies of scale may favour adopting larger scale plant, although there are additional factors yet to be included in this analysis. Furthermore, adopting different waste disposal routes during the demolition phase is unlikely to have a distinct impact on burden profiles.

Biodegradation, Environmental↗

PubMed1987

Extensive degradation of Aroclors and environmentally transformed polychlorinated biphenyls by Alcaligenes eutrophus H850.

We have isolated and characterized a strain of Alcaligenes eurtrophus, designated H850, that rapidly degrades a broad and unusual spectrum of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) including many tetra- and pentachlorobiphenyls and several hexachlorobiphenyls. This strain, which was isolated from PCB-containing dredge spoils by enrichment on biphenyl, grows well on biphenyl and 2-chlorobiphenyl but poorly on 3- and 4-chlorobiphenyl. Capillary gas-chromatographic analysis showed that biphenyl-grown resting cells of H850 degraded the components of 38 of the 41 largest peaks of Aroclor 1242 and 15 of the 44 largest peaks of Aroclor 1254, resulting in an overall reduction of PCBs by 81% for Aroclor 1242 (10 ppm) and 35% for Aroclor 1254 (10 ppm) in 2 days. Furthermore, H850 metabolized the predominantly ortho-substituted PCB congeners that resulted from the environmental transformation of the more highly chlorinated congeners of Aroclor 1242 by the upper Hudson River anaerobic meta-, para-dechlorination agent system C (J. F. Brown, R. E. Wagner, Jr., D. L. Bedard, M. J. Brennan, J. C. Carnahan, R. J. May, and J. J. Tofflemire, Northeast Environ. Sci. 3:167-179, 1984). The congener selectivity patterns indicate that a two-step process consisting of anaerobic dechlorination followed by oxidation by H850 can effectively degrade all of the congeners in Aroclor 1242 and possibly all those in Aroclor 1254.

Alcaligenes↗

PubMed1995

Recruitment of co-metabolic enzymes for environmental detoxification of organohalides.

Polyhalogenated compounds are often environmentally persistent and toxic to mammals. Microorganisms that metabolize these compounds can detoxify contaminated environments. Different biochemical mechanisms are used to metabolize polyhalogenated compounds, but few naturally occurring bacteria have this capability. A recombinant bacterium was constructed to metabolize polyhalogenated compounds to nonhalogenated end products. Seven genes were expressed in Pseudomonas putida G786 to biosynthesize cytochrome P450CAM and toluene dioxygenase. Cytochrome P450CAM catalyzed reductive dechlorinated reactions and toluene dioxygenase catalyzed oxidative dechlorination. With pentachloroethane, reductive dechlorination yielded trichloroethylene, which was further oxidized to formate and glyoxylate. The sequential action of cytochrome P450CAM and toluene dioxygenase with polyhalogenated compounds constitutes a novel engineered metabolic pathway.

Bacteria↗

PubMed2002

A comparison among different methods for evaluating the biomass activity in activated sludge systems: preliminary results.

In order to improve activated sludge plant operation (achieving higher efficiency and cost savings) beside influent and effluent characteristics and working parameters (e.g. dissolved oxygen, total and volatile suspended solids, pH, recirculation flow rate, etc.), the biomass activity should be monitored, the bacteria being responsible for the pollutant degradation. Since conventional cultivation based methods are inadequate to quantify environmental microorganisms (due to scarce number of cultivable microorganisms and time-consuming procedures) several "non-conventional" techniques were applied in this study, in order to compare the obtainable information and their routine feasibility. Different measurements (VSS concentration, Oxygen Uptake Rate, microbial counts by cultural and biomolecular methods--MPN-PCR, ATP content, dehydrogenase activity, microbial cell viability and enzymatic activity) were carried out on mixed liquor samples, taken from a municipal activated sludge plant (440,000 p. e.). The preliminary results of the research are presented in this paper.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

PubMed2006

The recent evolution of pentachlorophenol (PCP)-4-monooxygenase (PcpB) and associated pathways for bacterial degradation of PCP.

Man-made polychlorinated phenols such as pentachlorophenol (PCP) have been used extensively since the 1920s as preservatives to prevent fungal attack on wood. During this time, they have become serious environmental contaminants. Despite the recent introduction of PCP in the environment on an evolutionary time scale, PCP-degrading bacteria are present in soils worldwide. The initial enzyme in the PCP catabolic pathway of numerous sphingomonads, PCP-4-monooxygenase (PcpB), catalyzes the para-hydroxylation of PCP to tetrachlorohydroquinone and is encoded by the pcpB gene. This review examines the literature concerning pcpB and supports the suggestion that pcpB/PcpB should be considered a model system for the study of recent evolution of catabolic pathways among bacteria that degrade xenobiotic molecules introduced into the environment during the recent past.

Bacterial Proteins↗

PubMed1987

Assemblage of ortho cleavage route for simultaneous degradation of chloro- and methylaromatics.

Genetic engineering is a powerful means of accelerating the evolution of new biological activities and has considerable potential for constructing microorganisms that can degrade environmental pollutants. Critical enzymes from five different catabolic pathways of three distinct soil bacteria have been combined in patchwork fashion into a functional ortho cleavage route for the degradation of methylphenols and methylbenzoates. The new bacterium thereby evolved was able to degrade and grow on mixtures of chloro- and methylaromatics that were toxic even for the bacteria that could degrade the individual components of the mixtures. Except for one enzymatic step, the pathway was fully regulated and its component enzymes were only synthesized in response to the presence of pathway substrates.

Alcaligenes↗

PubMed2006

Bioconversion of red seaweed galactans: a focus on bacterial agarases and carrageenases.

Agars and carrageenans are 1,3-alpha-1,4-beta-galactans from the cell walls of red algae, substituted by zero (agarose), one (kappa-), two (iota-), or three (lambda-carrageenan) sulfate groups per disaccharidic monomer. Agars, kappa-, and iota-carrageenans auto-associate into crystalline fibers and are well known for their gelling properties, used in a variety of laboratory and industrial applications. These sulfated galactans constitute a crucial carbon source for a number of marine bacteria. These microorganisms secrete glycoside hydrolases specific for these polyanionic, insoluble polysaccharides, agarases and carrageenases. This article reviews the microorganisms involved in the degradation of agars and carrageenans, in their environmental and taxonomic diversity. We also present an overview on the biochemistry of the different families of galactanases. The structure-function relationships of the family GH16 beta-agarases and kappa-caraggeenases and of the family GH82 iota-carrageenases are discussed in more details. In particular, we examine how the active site topologies of these glycoside hydrolases influence their mode of action in heterogeneous phase. Finally, we discuss the next challenges in the basic and applied field of the galactans of red algae and of their related degrading microorganisms.

Agar↗

PubMed2004

Engineered endophytic bacteria improve phytoremediation of water-soluble, volatile, organic pollutants.

Phytoremediation of highly water soluble and volatile organic xenobiotics is often inefficient because plants do not completely degrade these compounds through their rhizospheres. This results in phytotoxicity and/or volatilization of chemicals through the leaves, which can cause additional environmental problems. We demonstrate that endophytic bacteria equipped with the appropriate degradation pathway improve the in planta degradation of toluene. We introduced the pTOM toluene-degradation plasmid of Burkholderia cepacia G4 into B. cepacia L.S.2.4, a natural endophyte of yellow lupine. After surface-sterilized lupine seeds were successfully inoculated with the recombinant strain, the engineered endophytic bacteria strongly degraded toluene, resulting in a marked decrease in its phytotoxicity, and a 50-70% reduction of its evapotranspiration through the leaves. This strategy promises to improve the efficiency of phytoremediating volatile organic contaminants.

Biodegradation, Environmental↗

PubMed2001

Removal of hydrogen sulfide and methyl mercaptan by a packed tower with immobilized micro-organism beads.

To develop a more effective process for removing H2S and methyl mercaptan (MeSH), which are the important odorous components emitted from wastewater treatment facilities, a packed bed filled with immobilized micro-organism beads was studied. This study encompassed bacteria enrichment, evaluation of bacteria immobilization methods, determination of optimum operation parameters, such as environmental conditions for bacteria growth, removal rate of the packed bed etc. The experimental results are shown as follows: (1) the cultures able to metabolize H2S and MeSH can be enriched from activated sludge and the enrichment periods are 1-2 days and 7-10 days for H2S and MeSH, respectively; (2) the key environmental parameter influencing the cultures is pH value, the suitable ranges are 2-3 and 6-8 for H2S and MeSH, respectively; (3) the maximum removal rate for H2S and MeSH are 6500 g/m3 bed d and 4 g/m3 bed d, respectively; (4) the superficial M-M kinetics parameters are Vm: 11.2 g S/kg dry beads h and Ks: 95.8 mg/m3 for H2S, and Vm: 0.052 g S/kg dry beads and Ks: 2.1 mg/m3 for MeSH; (5) a two-stage biofilter operated in series under different pH values is recommended, which can remove the H2S and MeSH effectively.

Absorption↗

PubMed2005

Simulation of a subsurface vertical flow constructed wetland for CSO treatment.

Constructed wetlands (CWs) have proved to be a highly effective measure to reduce the ecological impact of combined sewer overflows (CSOs) on receiving waters. Due to the stochastic nature of the loading regime and the multitude of environmental influences, assessment of the performance of such plants requires detailed mathematical modelling. A multi-component reactive transport module (CW2D) was applied to simulate the flow, transport and degradation processes occurring in a CW for CSO treatment. CW2D was originally developed to simulate the treatment of municipal wastewater in subsurface flow CWs. Loading and operational conditions in CSO treatment differ fundamentally from the conditions occurring for wastewater treatment. Despite these differences, first results from the simulation of lab-scale experiments show, that the model is generally applicable to this type of plant. Modelling of adsorption, degradation processes, and influent fractionation, however, require further research.

Biodegradation, Environmental↗

PubMed1992

Use of white rot fungi in the degradation of environmental chemicals.

White rot fungi have been shown to mineralize a wide variety of environmental pollutants. These fungi secrete a number of enzymes that are involved in its unique ability to degrade lignin, the structural component of woody plants. Lignin is a very complex heteropolymer that can only be degraded by white rot fungi. Degradation is complete without energy value to the fungus. The evolution of this ability has apparently given the organism the ability to degrade structurally diverse and normally very recalcitrant environmental pollutants such as DDT, PCB, benzo(a)pyrene, TNT, etc. Some of the major enzymes that are secreted by the fungi are peroxidases with unique properties. In addition to their ability to catalyze a wide variety of oxidations, they can also catalyze indirect oxidations and reductions. The fungi synthesize and secrete hydrogen peroxide to activate the peroxidases, veratryl alcohol to serve as a free radical intermediate for indirect oxidations, and electron donors, such as oxalate, which with veratryl alcohol catalyze reductions. Reductions are often required for subsequent oxidation of chemicals by the peroxidases. The enzymes can also reduce molecular oxygen.

Basidiomycota↗

PubMed2003

Use of image analysis to determine algal and bacterial biomass in a high rate algal pond following Percoll fractionation.

This paper reports the results of work to allow a more accurate enumeration, and gravimetric determination, of the relative proportions of algae and bacteria within the floccular matrix present in a High Rate Algal Pond (HRAP). Methodology involving a combination of physical and chemical treatments was used and the resulting material was separated using density gradient centrifugation. The "fractions" were analysed using microscopical image analysis. Each "fraction" was categorised as containing bacteria only, algae only or an association of bacteria and algae, the relative proportions of which were then determined by image analysis to enable a "true" gravimetric determination of the algal and bacterial components of HRAP biomass for the first time. The biomass from HRAPs operated both outdoors and in a glasshouse was examined over complete operational seasons to investigate environmental effects as well as possible effects of variation in COD loading rate and retention time on cell biovolumes and cell quotients. In this study, the accurate assessment of both algal and bacterial biomass, determined as cell volume or dry matter, in addition to measurement of carbon and nitrogen has enabled the calculation of cell quotients. This allows a direct comparison between these values obtained from a nutrient-rich system and those published values obtained from systems with various nutrient status. Conversion factors obtained may also be of value for deriving inputs for computer models for the design and operation of high rate algal ponds.

Bacteria↗

PubMed2003

Perspectives for anaerobic digestion.

The modern society generates large amounts of waste that represent a tremendous threat to the environment and human and animal health. To prevent and control this, a range of different waste treatment and disposal methods are used. The choice of method must always be based on maximum safety, minimum environmental impact and, as far as possible, on valorization of the waste and final recycling of the end products. One of the main trends of today's waste management policies is to reduce the stream of waste going to landfills and to recycle the organic material and the plant nutrients back to the soil. Anaerobic digestion (AD) is one way of achieving this goal and it will furthermore, reduce energy consumption or may even be net energy producing. This chapter aims at provide a basic understanding of the world in which anaerobic digestion is operating today. The newest process developments as well as future perspectives will be discussed.

Anaerobiosis↗

PubMed1999

Comparison of API 20NE and Biolog GN identification systems assessed by techniques of multivariate analyses.

The increasing use of commercial multitest systems for identification of environmental bacteria creates the problem of how to compare the identification results obtained from different systems. The limited use of species designations in such comparisons is caused by low usage of environmental bacteria in the development of commercial identification schemes. Two multivariate statistical methods, the Mantel's test and the co-inertia analysis, were applied to analyze data derived from the Biolog GN and the API 20NE systems of identification for 50 environmental bacterial strains. We found these two methods to be useful for revealing the relationship between the two sets of numerical taxonomic traits. Both of these methods showed that the distances according to the Biolog GN results between the studied strains were related to those derived from the API 20NE results, despite the differences in the test sets of the two systems. In addition, the co-inertia analysis allowed us to visualise the relationships between classifications of strains derived from the two identification systems and, simultaneously, to estimate the contribution of particular tests to the differentiation of bacterial strains.

Bacterial Typing Techniques↗

PubMed2001

Nitrogen and sulfate attenuation in simulated landfill bioreactors.

The characteristics of leachate from landfills vary according to site-specific conditions. Leachates from old landfills are often rich in ammonia nitrogen, posing potential adverse environmental impacts in the case of uncontrolled discharge. At landfills where leachate recirculation is practiced, leachate ammonia concentrations may accumulate to higher levels than during the single pass leaching. Using leachate recirculation with system modifications, separate aerobic and anoxic zones for nitrification and both autotrophic and heterotrophic denitrification can be provided. Results from simulated landfill bioreactors indicated that both nitrogenous and sulfur compounds can be attenuated through autotrophic denitrification, and leachate nitrate concentrations of 750 mg/L reduced to less than 1 mg/L by denitrification to nitrogen gas promoting this very common process in a landfill environment results in the reduction of both leachate ammonia and sulfate concentrations.

Ammonia↗

PubMed2006

Capillary HPLC/QTOF-MS for characterizing complex naphthenic acid mixtures and their microbial transformation.

A rapidly expanding oil sands industry in Canada produces and indefinitely stores large volumes of toxic aqueous tailings containing high concentrations of naphthenic acids (NAs), a complex mixture of naturally occurring aliphatic or alicyclic carboxylic acids. Although there is an acknowledged need to reduce the environmental risks posed by NAs, little is understood about their environmental fate due to a lack of appropriate analytical methods. A dilute-and-shoot reversed-phase capillary HPLC/QTOF-MS method was developed that combines high specificity and sensitivity, quantitative capabilities, the ability to detect novel transformation products, and new structural information within each NA isomer class. HPLC separated NAs, based on carbon number, degree of cyclization, and the extent of alkyl branching, and in so doing increased analytical sensitivity up to 350-fold while providing additional specificity compared to infusion techniques. For tailings water, an interlaboratory study revealed many differences in isomer class profiles compared to an established GC/MS method, much of which was attributed to the misclassification of oxidized NAs (i.e., NA + O) by low-resolution GC/MS. HPLC/QTOF-MS enabled the detection of oxidized products in the same chromatographic run, and Van Krevelen diagrams were adapted to visualize the complex data. A marked decrease of retention times was evident in Syncrude tailings water compared to a commercial mixture, suggesting that tailings water is dominated by highly persistent alkyl-substituted isomers. A biodegradation study revealed that tailings water microorganisms preferentially deplete the least alkyl-substituted fraction and may be responsible for the NA profile in aged tailings water.

Biodegradation, Environmental↗

PubMed2006

Sulfur and oxygen isotope fractionation during benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, and xylene degradation by sulfate-reducing bacteria.

We examined the oxygen and sulfur isotope fractionation of sulfate during anaerobic degradation of toluene by sulfate-reducing bacteria in culture experiments with Desulfobacula toluolica as a type strain and with an enrichment culture Zz5-7 obtained from a benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX)-contaminated aquifer. Sulfur isotope fractionation can show considerable variation upon sulfate reduction and may react extremely sensitively to changes in environmental conditions. In contrast, oxygen isotope fractionation seems to be less sensitive to environmental changes. Our results clearly indicate that oxygen isotope fractionation is dominated by isotope exchange with ambient water. To verify our experimental results and to test the applicability of oxygen and sulfur isotope investigations under realistic field conditions, we evaluated isotope data from two BTEX-contaminated aquifers presented in the recent literature. On a field scale, bacterial sulfate reduction may be superimposed by processes such as dispersion, adsorption, reoxidation, or mixing. The dual isotope approach enables the identification of such sulfur transformation processes. This identification is vital for a general qualitative evaluation of the natural attenuation potential of the contaminated aquifer.

Benzene↗

PubMed2002

Biotransformation of naphthalene and diaryl ethers by green microalgae.

The role of green microalgae in the biotransformation of naphthalene (a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon) and diaryl ethers was investigated using axenic cultures of Chlorella vulgaris and two environmental isolates, Scenedesmus SI1 and Ankistrodesmus SI2. Biotransformation experiments with dense cell cultures showed that these three green algae transformed toxic xenobiotics to more polar metabolites. Chlorella vulgaris metabolized naphthalene to 1-naphthol (0.36-0.65%). Ankistrodesmus SI2 biotransformed dibenzofuran to six metabolites (total over 7%), three of which (possibly four) were identified as monohydroxylated dibenzofurans, the remaining two may be dihydroxylated derivatives. Scenedesmus SI1 biotransformed dibenzo-p-dioxin to three metabolites, one of which was tentatively identified as 2-hydroxydibenzo-p-dioxin (approximately 3.8%), the remainder may be dihydroxylated derivatives. This is the first time that the biotransformation of diaryl ethers by green microalgae has been investigated.

Biodegradation, Environmental↗