Biodegradation of nonylphenol in a continuous packed-bed bioreactor.
A packed bed bioreactor, with 170 ml glass bead carriers and 130 ml medium, was tested for the removal of the endocrine disrupter, nonylphenol, with a Sphingomonas sp. The bioreactor was first continuously fed with medium saturated with nonylphenol in an attempt to simulate groundwater pollution. At best, nonylphenol was degraded by 99.5% at a feeding rate of 69 ml h(-1) and a removal rate of 4.3 mg nonylphenol day(-1), resulting in a 7.5-fold decrease in effluent toxicity according to the Microtox. The bioreactor was then fed with soil leachates at 69 ml h(-1) from artificially contaminated soil (1 g nonylphenol kg(-1) soil) and a real contaminated soil (0.19 g nonylphenol kg(-1) soil). Nonylphenol was always completely removed from the leachates of the two soils. It was removed by 99% from the artificial soil but only 62% from real contaminated soil after 18 and 20 d of treatment, respectively, showing limitation due to nonylphenol adsorption.
Soares
Ana
A
Biotechnology Department, Lund University, P.O. Box 124, S-221 00 Lund, Sweden.
Guieysse
Benoit
B
Mattiasson
Bo
B
D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D018441:Biofilms; D019149:Bioreactors / Q000382:microbiology*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D010636:Phenols / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D020578:Sphingomonas / Q000378:metabolism*; D014733:Vibrio / Q000187:drug effects; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism
D010636:Phenols; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C025256:nonylphenol