Biodegradation of linear alkylbenzene sulfonate by a two-member facultative anaerobic bacterial consortium

Deciphering the roles of nitrogen source in sharping synchronous metabolic pathways of linear alkylbenzene sulfonate and nitrogen in a membrane biofilm for treating greywater

Nitrogen (N) source is an important factor affecting biological wastewater treatment. Although the oxygen-based membrane biofilm showed excellent greywater treatment performance, how N source impacts the synchronous removal of organics and N is still unclear. In this work, how N species (urea, nitrate and ammonia) affect synchronous metabolic pathways of organics and N were evaluated during greywater treatment in the membrane biofilm. Urea and ammonia achieved efficient chemical oxygen demand (>97.5%) and linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS, >98.5%) removal, but nitrate enabled the maximum total N removal (80.8 ± 2.6%). The nitrate-added system had poor LAS removal ratio and high residual LAS, promoting the accumulation of effluent protein-like organics and fulvic acid matter. N source significantly induced bacterial community succession, and the increasing of corresponded functional flora can promote the transformation and utilization of microbial-mediated N. The nitrate system was more conducive to the accumulation of denitrification related microorganisms and enzymes, enabling the efficient N removal. Combining with high amount of ammonia monooxygenase that contributing to LAS and N co-metabolism, LAS mineralization related microbes and functional enzymes were generously accumulated in the urea and ammonia systems, which achieved the high efficiency of organics and LAS removal.

Assessment of the aerobic and anaerobic biodegradation of contaminants of emerging concern in sludge using batch reactors

This work explores the degradation of xenobiotic compounds in aerobic and anaerobic batch reactors. Different inoculums were spiked with nine emerging contaminants at nominal concentrations ranging between 1 to 2 mg/L (ibuprofen, diclofenac, naproxen, acesulfame, sucralose, aspartame, cyclamate, linear alkylbenzene sulfonates, and secondary alkyl sulfonates). Ethanol was used as co-substrate in the anaerobic reactors. We found that the kinetic decay was faster in the aerobic reactors inoculated with a Spanish (S_pn) inoculum compared to a Brazilian (B_rz) inoculum, resulting in rection rates for LAS and SAS of 2.67 ± 3.6 h^-1 and 5.09 ± 6 h^-1 for the B_rz reactors, and 1.3 ± 0.1 h^-1 and 1.5 ± 0.2 h^-1 for the S_pn reactors, respectively. There was no evidence of LAS and SAS degradation under anaerobic conditions within 72 days; nonetheless, under aerobic conditions, these surfactants were removed by both the B_rz and S_pn inoculums (up to 86.2 ± 9.4% and 74.3 ± 0.7%, respectively) within 10 days. The artificial sweeteners were not removed under aerobic conditions, whereas we could observe a steady decrease in the anaerobic reactors containing the S_pn inoculum. Ethanol aided in the degradation of surfactants in anaerobic environments. Proteiniphilum, Paraclostridium, Arcobacter, Proteiniclasticum, Acinetobacter, Roseomonas, Aquamicrobium, Moheibacter, Leucobacter, Synergistes, Cyanobacteria, Serratia, and Desulfobulbus were the main microorganisms identified in this study.

Effect of individual or combined physical and chemical factors on the anaerobic biodegradation of linear alkylbenzene sulphonate

The effect of six important factors on the anaerobic biodegradation of linear alkylbenzene sulphonate (LAS) was evaluated using a response surface methodology. The factors were: (i) co-substrate concentration (CC), (ii) contact time between LAS and microorganisms, (iii) temperature, (iv) hardness, (v) pH, and (vi) LAS source. The results showed that individually or combined, CC with chemical oxygen demand (COD) ≤50 mg L^-1 was the factor that mostly favoured LAS biodegradation; whereas at COD >50 mg L^-1, adsorption to sludge and solubilisation in the aqueous medium were favoured. Two-factor interactions promoted the highest percentages of biodegradation (45-52%), adsorption (43-45%), and solubilisation (18-25%). The three-factor interactions resulted in small percentage increases of up to 11%, 5%, and 13% for biodegradation, adsorption, and solubilisation, respectively, compared to those of two-factor interactions. The interactions of four, five, and six factors resulted in a non-significant effect on LAS biodegradation, adsorption, and solubilisation, with percentages close to those quantified for the two- and three-factor interactions. Concentrations of up to 30 mg LAS L^-1 did not significantly affect the COD removal efficiency (74-88%) from the medium. These values are commonly obtained in full-scale anaerobic systems used to treat domestic sewage.

Surfactant Pollution, an Emerging Threat to Ecosystem: Approaches for Effective Bacterial Degradation

The use of surfactants in households and industries is inevitable and so is their discharge into the environment, especially into the water bodies as effluents. Being surface-active agents, their utilization is mostly seen in soaps, detergents, personal care products, emulsifiers, wetting agents, etc. Anionic surfactants are the most used class. These surfactants are responsible for the foam and froth in the water bodies and cause potential adverse effects to both biotic and abiotic components of the ecosystem. Surfactants are capable of penetrating the cell membrane and thus cause toxicity to living organisms. Accumulation of these compounds has been known to cause significant gill damage and loss of sight in fish. Alteration of physiological and biochemical parameters of water decreases the amount of dissolved oxygen and thus affecting the entire ecosystem. Microbes utilizing surfactants as substrates for energy form the basis of the biodegradation of these compounds. The main organisms for surfactant biodegradation, both in sewage and natural waters, are bacteria. Several Pseudomonas and Bacillus spp. have shown efficient degradation of anionic surfactants namely: sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), linear alkylbenzene sulphonate (LAS), sodium dodecylbenzenesulphonate (SDBS). Also, several microbial consortia constituting Alcaligenes spp., Citrobacter spp., etc. have shown efficacy in the degradation of surfactants. The biodegradation efficiency studies of these microbes/microbial consortia would be of immense help in formulating better solutions for the bioremediation of surfactants and help to reduce their potential environmental hazards.

Screening and mutagenesis of high-efficient degrading bacteria of linear alkylbenzene sulfonates

As a widely used detergent, anionic surfactant linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LAS) is a common toxic pollutant in wastewater. In this study, Pseudomonas sp. strain H6 was isolated from activated sludge and municipal wastewater, which had good degradation effect on LAS. The results showed that strain H6 could grow with LAS as the sole carbon source. When the concentration of LAS was less than 100 mg/L, strain H6 could degrade more than 80% of the LAS within 24 h. Meanwhile, the growth of strain H6 increased with the increase of LAS concentration, reaching the maximum growth at the presence of 100 mg/L LAS. When the concentration of LAS was over 100 mg/L, strain H6's cell growth and degradation of LAS showed a downward trend due to the strong toxicity of LAS, and the degradation rate of LAS almost tended to zero with 500 mg/L LAS. Further mutagenesis analysis of strain H6 showed that positive mutation occurred under ultraviolet and nitrite mutagenesis with using ampicillin to increase the screening pressure, and the degradation rate of LAS was 44.91% higher than that of original strain.

Promoting waste activated sludge reduction by linear alkylbenzene sulfonates: Surfactant dose control extracellular polymeric substances solubilization and microbial community succession

Short-time aerobic digestion (STAD) was proved to promote the reduction of waste activated sludge (WAS). This study systematically disclosed the influential characteristics and mechanisms of linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LAS) dosage on the reduction of WAS in STAD system. Flow cytometer (FC) combined with SYTOX Green (SG) dye was used to differentiate extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) release and cell lysis of WAS during STAD process. LAS lower than 0.10 g/g total suspended solids (TSS) brought about EPS solubilization and the decrease of sludge floc size, and the accumulated soluble microbial products (SMP) could be biodegraded by heterotrophs. Moreover, the activity of microorganisms (denoted as specific oxygen uptake rate (SOUR)) and proportion of bacteria functional for LAS and SMP biodegradation dramatically increased, leading to a high LAS biodegradation rate (k_LAS) and increased WAS biodegradation rate (k_{COD, WAS}). Even more LAS (> 0.10 g/g TSS) caused cell lysis, leading to the decreased k_TCOD and k_LAS, and therefore inhibit the reduction of WAS. High WAS reduction and LAS biodegradation rate were achieved at the LAS dosage of 0.10 g/g TSS in STAD system. This study lays the foundation for improving WAS reduction by optimizing surfactant dose in STAD system.

Biodegradation of anionic surfactants by Alcaligenes faecalis, Enterobacter cloacae and Serratia marcescens strains isolated from industrial wastewater

Pseudo-persistent organic pollutants, such as anionic surfactants (AS), are nowadays among the more complex problems that threaten the aquatic environments and other environmental compartments. The present work describes the identification and efficiency of a consortium, isolated from Algerian industrial wastewater, to remove three anionic surfactants (i.e., sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (SDBS), sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES)). The genetic analysis of 16S rRNA indicated that these strains are Alcaligenes faecalis, Enterobacter cloacae and Serratia marcescens. Under aerobic conditions, pH 7.0 and optimum temperature of 30 °C, the mixed consortium allowed to degrade 85.1% of initial SDBS amount after 144 h of incubation with half-life of 20.8 h. While E. cloacae and S. marcescens pure strains eliminated 46% and 41% less SDBS respectively. Evenly, SDS was degraded at only 23.71% by A. faecalis strain. However, the degradation capacity of SDS by the consortium was very high (94.2%) with a half-life of 9.8 h. The SLES anionic surfactant showed a lower biodegradation by the consortium (47.53%) due to the presence of ether oxide units in the chemical structure of SLES which induced toxicity to the medium. The investigation of the biodegradation of this type of organic pollutants by microorganisms has recently become a key issue for the environmental protection area.

Metabolic routes involved in the removal of linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) employing linear alcohol ethoxylated and ethanol as co-substrates in enlarged scale fluidized bed reactor

In this study, the microbial community characterization and metabolic pathway identification involved in the linear alkylbenzene sulfonated (LAS) degradation from commercial laundry wastewater in a fluidized bed reactor (FBR) on an increased scale were performed using the Illumina MiSeq platform. Ethanol and non-ionic surfactant (LAE, Genapol C-100) were used as co-substrates. The FBR was operated in five operational phases: (I) synthetic substrate for inoculation; (II) 7.9 ± 4.7 mg/L LAS and 11.7 ± 6.9 mg/L LAE; (III) 19.4 ± 12.9 mg/L LAS, 19.6 ± 9.2 mg/L LAE and 205 mg/L ethanol; (IV) 25.9 ± 11 mg/L LAS, 19.5 ± 9.1 mg/L LAE and 205 mg/L ethanol and (V) 43.9 ± 18 mg/L LAS, 25 ± 9.8 mg/L LAE and 205 mg/L ethanol. At all operation phases, organic matter was removed from 40.4 to 85.1% and LAS removal was from 24.7 to 56%. Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) were identified in the biofilm of FBR in all operational phases. Although the LAS promoted a toxic effect on the microbiota, this effect can be reduced when using biodegradable co-substrates, such as ethanol and LAE, which was observed in Phase IV. In this phase, there was a greater microbial diversity (Shannon index) and higher microorganism richness (Chao 1 index), both for the Domain Bacteria, and for the Domain Archaea.

Surfactants in aquatic and terrestrial environment: occurrence, behavior, and treatment processes

Surfactants belong to a group of chemicals that are well known for their cleaning properties. Their excessive use as ingredients in care products (e.g., shampoos, body wash) and in household cleaning products (e.g., dishwashing detergents, laundry detergents, hard-surface cleaners) has led to the discharge of highly contaminated wastewaters in aquatic and terrestrial environment. Once reached in the different environmental compartments (rivers, lakes, soils, and sediments), surfactants can undergo aerobic or anaerobic degradation. The most studied surfactants so far are linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS), quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs), alkylphenol ethoxylate (APEOs), and alcohol ethoxylate (AEOs). Concentrations of surfactants in wastewaters can range between few micrograms to hundreds of milligrams in some cases, while it reaches several grams in sludge used for soil amendments in agricultural areas. Above the legislation standards, surfactants can be toxic to aquatic and terrestrial organisms which make treatment processes necessary before their discharge into the environment. Given this fact, biological and chemical processes should be considered for better surfactants removal. In this review, we investigate several issues with regard to: (1) the toxicity of surfactants in the environment, (2) their behavior in different ecological systems, (3) and the different treatment processes used in wastewater treatment plants in order to reduce the effects of surfactants on living organisms.

Assessing the environmental fate of S-metolachlor, its commercial product Mercantor Gold® and their photoproducts using a water-sediment test and in silico methods

Pesticides enter surface and groundwater by several routes in which partition to sediment contributes to their fate by abiotic (e.g. photolysis, hydrolysis) and biotic processes. Yet, little is known about S-metolachlor (SM) transformation in water-sediment systems. Therefore, a newly developed screening water-sediment test (WST) was applied to compare biodegradation and sorption processes between pure SM and Mercantor Gold® (MG), a commercial formulation of SM. Photolysis in water was performed by Xe lamp irradiation. Subsequently, the biodegradability of SM and MG photolysis mixtures was examined in WST. The primary elimination of SM from water phase was monitored and structures of its TPs resulting from biotransformation (bio-TPs) were elucidated by LC-MS/MS. SM was extracted from sediment in order to estimate the role of sorption in WST for its elimination. A set of in silico prediction software tools was applied for toxicity assessment of SM and its bio-TPs. Obtained results suggest that the MG adjuvants do not significantly affect biodegradation, but do influence diffusion of SM into sediment. 50% of SM could not be re-extracted from sediment with 0.01 M CaCl2 aqueous solution recommended in OECD test guideline for adsorption. Neither the parent compound nor the photo-TPs were biodegraded. However, new bio-TPs have been generated from SM and MG photo-TPs due to bacterial activity in the water-sediment interphase. Moreover, according to in silico assessment of the bio-TPs the biotransformation might lead to an increased toxicity to the water organisms compared with the SM. This might raise concerns of bio-TPs presence in the environment.

The comparative advantages of ethanol and sucrose as co-substrates in the degradation of an anionic surfactant: microbial community selection

The efficiency of linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) removal from laundry wastewater and the related microbial community was investigated in an anaerobic fluidized bed reactor (AFBR). The AFBR was operated in three stages, in addition to the biomass adaptation stage without LAS (stage I). The stages were differentiated by their supplementary co-substrates: stage II had sucrose plus ethanol, stage III had only ethanol, and stage IV had no co-substrate. The replacement of sucrose plus ethanol with ethanol only for the substrate composition favored the efficiency of LAS removal, which remained high after the co-substrate was removed (stage II: 52 %; stage III: 73 %; stage IV: 77 %). A transition in the microbial community from Comamonadaceae to Rhodocyclaceae in conjunction with the co-substrate variation was observed using ion sequencing analysis. The microbial community that developed in response to an ethanol-only co-substrate improved LAS degradation more than the community that developed in response to a mixture of sucrose and ethanol, suggesting that ethanol is a better option for enriching an LAS-degrading microbial community.

Evaluation of contact time and fiber morphology on bacterial immobilization for development of novel surfactant degrading nanofibrous webs

Novel electrospun fibrous biocomposites were developed by immobilizing two different sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) biodegrading bacterial strains on electrospun non-porous cellulose acetate (nCA) and porous cellulose acetate (pCA) webs.

Microbial characterization and degradation of linear alkylbenzene sulfonate in an anaerobic reactor treating wastewater containing soap powder

The aim of this study was to evaluate the removal of linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) in an anaerobic fluidized bed reactor (AFBR) treating wastewater containing soap powder as LAS source. At Stage I, the AFBR was fed with a synthetic substrate containing yeast extract and ethanol as carbon sources, and without LAS; at Stage II, soap powder was added to this synthetic substrate obtaining an LAS concentration of 14 ± 3 mg L(-1). The compounds of soap powder probably inhibited some groups of microorganisms, increasing the concentration of volatile fatty acids (VFA) from 91 to 143 mg HAc L(-1). Consequently, the LAS removal rate was 48 ± 10% after the 156 days of operation. By sequencing, 16S rRNA clones belonging to the phyla Proteobacteria and Synergistetes were identified in the samples taken at the end of the experiment, with a remarkable presence of Dechloromonas sp. and Geobacter sp.

Characterization of SDS-degrading Delftia acidovorans and in situ monitoring of its temporal succession in SDS-contaminated surface waters

Incomplete removal of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) in wastewater treatment plants may result in SDS residues escaping and finding their way into receiving water bodies like rivers, lakes, and sea. Introduction of effective microorganisms into the aerobic treatment facilities can reduce unpleasant by-products and SDS residues. Selecting effective microorganisms for SDS treatment is a big challenge. Current study reports the isolation, identification, and in situ monitoring of an effective SDS-degrading isolate from detergent-polluted river waters. Screening was carried out by the conventional enrichment culture technique and the isolate was tentatively identified by using fatty acid methyl ester and 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequence analyses. Fatty acids produced by the isolate investigated were assumed as typical for the genus Comamonas. 16S rRNA sequence analysis also confirmed that the isolate had 95% homology with Delftia acidovorans known as Comamonas or Pseudomonas acidovorans previously. D. acidovorans exhibited optimum growth at SDS concentration of 1 g l(-1) but tolerated up to 10 g l(-1) SDS. 87% of 1.0 g l(-1) pure SDS was degraded after 11 days of incubation. The temporal succession of D. acidovorans in detergent-polluted river water was also monitored in situ by using Comamonas-specific fluorescein-labeled Cte probe. Being able to degrade SDS and populate in SDS-polluted surface waters, D. acidovorans isolates seem to be very helpful in elimination of SDS.

Draft Genome Sequence of the Antibiotic-Producing Cystic Fibrosis Isolate Pantoea agglomerans Tx10

Pantoea agglomerans is an enteric bacterium that is capable of causing both plant and human disease. Here, we report the genome sequence of a cystic fibrosis isolate, P. agglomerans Tx10, which produces an antibiotic that is effective against Staphylococcus aureus.

Linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) in water of Lake Dianchi--spatial and seasonal variation, and kinetics of biodegradation

For the purpose of elucidating the environmental characteristics of anion surfactants [linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LAS)] in the water of Lake Dianchi, a sampling investigation in the field from October 2006 to July 2007 and a batch of biodegradation experiments in the laboratory were carried out. The results showed that concentrations of LAS ranged from 18.6 to 260.1 μg L(-1), and the average concentration was 52.6 μg L(-1) in Lake Dianchi. The highest concentrations of LAS were found in the Northwest region, and the distribution of LAS varied through seasons, with much lower concentrations in fall than in any other seasons. LAS can be primarily biodegraded by microorganisms in the lake water, and the percentage of degradation was >97% after 28 days. Biodegradation of LAS was well-fitted with the kinetic model presented in this paper, and the half-lives ranged from 3.2 to 16.3 days. Temperature, pH, and initial concentrations could affect the biodegradation of LAS, among which temperature was the major factor influencing on biodegradation of LAS in water of Lake Dianchi.

Effect of linear alkylbenzene sulfonates on the growth of aerobic heterotrophic cultivable bacteria isolated from an agricultural soil

An enrichment culture technique was used to isolate soil bacteria capable of growing in the presence of two different concentrations of linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LAS) (10 and 500 microg ml(-1)). Nine bacterial strains, representatives of the major colony types of aerobic heterotrophic cultivable bacteria in the enriched samples, were isolated and subsequently identified by PCR-amplification and partial sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. Amongst the isolates, strains LAS05 (Pseudomonas syringae), LAS06 (Staphylococcus epidermidis), LAS07 (Delftia tsuruhatensis), LAS08 (Staphylococcus epidermidis) and LAS09 (Enterobacter aerogenes), were able to grow in pure culture in dialysed soil media amended with LAS (50 microg ml(-1)). The three Gram-negative strains grew to higher cell numbers in the presence of 50 microg ml(-1) of LAS, compared to LAS-unamended dialysed soil medium, and were selected for further testing of their ability to use LAS as carbon source. However, HPLC analysis of culture supernatants showed that the three strains can tolerate but not degrade LAS when grown in pure cultures. A higher concentration of soluble phosphates was recorded in dialysed soil media amended with LAS (50 microg ml(-1)) compared to unamended control media, suggesting an effect of the surfactant that enhanced the bioavailability of P from soil. The presence of LAS at a concentration of 50 microg ml(-1) had an important impact on growth of selected aerobic heterotrophic soil bacteria, a deleterious effect which may be relevant for the normal function and evolution of agricultural soil.

Evaluation of the microbial diversity in a horizontal-flow anaerobic immobilized biomass reactor treating linear alkylbenzene sulfonate

The purpose of this work was to assess the degradation of linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) in a horizontal-flow anaerobic immobilized biomass (HAIB) reactor. The reactor was filled with polyurethane foam where the sludge from a sanitary sewage treatment was immobilized. The hydraulic detention time (HDT) used in the experiments was of 12 h. The reactor was fed with synthetic substrate (410 mg l(-1) of meat extract, 115 mg l(-1) of starch, 80 mg l(-1) of saccharose, 320 mg l(-1) of sodium bicarbonate and 5 ml l(-1) of salt solution) in the following stages of operation: SI-synthetic substrate, SII-synthetic substrate with 7 mg l(-1) of LAS, SIII-synthetic substrate with 14 mg l(-1) of LAS and SIV-synthetic substrate containing yeast extract (substituting meat extract) and 14 mg l(-1) of LAS, without starch. At the end of the experiment (313 days) a degradation of approximately 35% of LAS was achieved. The higher the concentration of LAS, the greater the amount of foam for its adsorption. This is necessary because the isotherm of LAS adsorption in the foam is linear for the studied concentrations (2 to 50 mg l(-1)). Microscopic analyses of the biofilm revealed diverse microbial morphologies, while Denaturing Gradient Gel Eletrophoresis (DGGE) profiling showed variations in the population of total bacteria and sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB). The 16S rRNA gene sequencing and phylogenetic analyses revealed that the members of the order Clostridiales were the major components of the bacterial community in the last reactor operation step.

Biodegradation of Sodium Lauryl Ether Sulfate (SLES) by Two Different Bacterial Consortia

Two bacterial consortia capable of degrading SLES were isolated from a wastewater treatment plant. The two consortia consisted of three members, Acinetobacter calcoacetiacus and Klebsiella oxytoca in one co-culture (A-K) and Serratia odorifera in the second co-culture (S-A), which contains Acinetobacter calcoacetiacus as well. In all experiments, cells were grown on SLES (1000-7000 ppm) containing the M9 minimal medium as sole carbon source. The co-culture A-K demonstrated a higher growth rate (0.26 h(-1)) and significant greater viability than that of the co-culture S-A (0.21 h(-1)). Glucose, sucrose, maltose, mannitol, and succinic acid as carbon sources produced the same degradation rate (approximately 100 ppm/h) and enhanced the SLES degradation rate by 3-fold upon the control (without an added carbon source). In the case of the co-culture S-A, the situation was different; all the carbon sources being tested except maltose caused a repression in the degradation ability in a range between 25-100%. Maltose causes an enhancement by almost fivefold, compared with the positive control.