Process for degradation of nitrobenzene: combining electron beam irradiation with biotransformation.
Electron beam irradiations of aqueous solutions containing 15-30 mg/L of nitrobenzene at 60 kGy dose removed 78% of the contaminant. Three mononitrophenols were detected as by-products of electron beam treatment of nitrobenzene. A mixed culture enriched on a mixture of 2-, 3-, and 4-nitrophenol degraded both the residual nitrobenzene and the nitrophenol products. Percentage removal of nitrobenzene increased with increasing electron beam dose. This observation led to the conceptual design of a two-stage electron beam microbial process for degradation of nitrobenzene. Three groups of pure isolates were characterized from the mixed culture based on their abilities to grow on cor- responding nitrophenol substrates: Group A, 2NP(-)3NP(-)4NP(+); Group B, 2NP(+)3NP(+)4NP(-); and Group C, 2NP(-)3NP(+)4NP(-). Bacteria that grew on 3-NP transformed nitrobenzene into ammonia in the electron beam-treated nitrobenzene samples.
Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada.
J S
JS
Zhao
O P
OP
Ward
P
P
Lubicki
J D
JD
Cross
P
P
Huck
D001711:Biotransformation; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004583:Electrons; D009578:Nitrobenzenes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000528:radiation effects; D009596:Nitrophenols / Q000528:radiation effects; D011549:Pseudomonas / Q000378:metabolism*; D014871:Water Microbiology; D018508:Water Purification
D009578:Nitrobenzenes; D009596:Nitrophenols; C036077:nitrobenzene