title: Anaerobic degradation of five polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from river sediment in Taiwan.
abstract: This study investigated the anaerobic degradation of five polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from Erren River sediment in southern Taiwan. The degradation rates of PAH were in the order: acenaphthene > fluorene > phenanthrene > anthracene > pyrene. The degradation rate was enhanced when the five compounds were present simultaneously in river sediment. Comparison of the PAH degradation rates under three reducing conditions showed the following order: sulfate-reducing conditions > methanogenic conditions > nitrate-reducing conditions. The addition of electron donors (acetate, lactate and pyruvate) enhanced PAH degradation under methanogenic and sulfate-reducing conditions. However, the addition of acetate, lactate or pyruvate inhibited PAH degradation under nitrate-reducing conditions. The addition of heavy metals, nonylphenol and phthalate esters (PAEs) inhibited PAH degradation. Our results show that sulfate-reducing bacteria, methanogen and eubacteria are involved in the degradation of PAH; sulfate-reducing bacteria constitute a major microbial component in PAH degradation. Of the microorganism strains isolated from the sediment samples, we found that strain ER9 expressed the greatest biodegrading ability.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Soochow University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shaw Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Bea V
authors.initials: BV
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D000693:Anaerobiosis; D001421:Bacteria, Anaerobic / Q000378:metabolism*; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology*; D007700:Kinetics; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D045483:Rivers; D013624:Taiwan; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical