Biodegradation of high molecular weight PAHs using isolated yeast mixtures: application of meta-genomic methods for community structure analyses

Bioaugmentation for the removal of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from wastewater using bacteria and yeasts is considered environment-friendly and a cost-effective technique. The effectiveness of this biodegradation system depends on the stability of inoculated microorganisms and the availability of nutrients. This study is aimed to investigate the removal of high molecular weight (HMW)-PAHs from biologically treated produced water using different biological systems. Three systems, inoculated with activated sludge (AS), the mixture of five yeast strains (MY), and the mixture of AS and the five yeast strains (SY), respectively, were constructed, and their performance for the removal of HMW-PAHs was compared over 10 weeks. The effluent of the biologically treated produced water from an oilfield was used as the influent after chrysene and benzo(a)pyrene were spiked as HMW-PAHs. Polymerase chain reaction-based denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) techniques were used to examine the changes in the structures and abundances of the bacterial and yeast communities in these three systems. Only SY and MY systems were capable to remove chrysene (90.7 % and 98.5 %, respectively) and benzo(a)pyrene (80.7 % and 95.2 %, respectively). PCR-DGGE analysis confirmed that all of the five yeast strains inoculated remained in the SY and MY systems, while FISH results showed that the relative abundance of yeast in the SY and MY systems (10.6 % to 21.9 %, respectively) were significantly higher than AS system (2.3 % to 7.8 %, respectively). The relative abundances of the catechol 2,3-dioxygenase (C23O) indicated that the copy number ratios of benzene ring cleavage gene C23O in the yeast amended systems were much higher than that in the AS system. In this study, all of the three systems were effective in removing the low molecular weight (LMW)-PAHs, while HMW-PAHs including chrysene and benzo(a)pyrene were efficiently removed by MY and SY systems, not by AS system. The high HMW-PAHs removal in the MY and SY bioaugmentation systems possibly attributed to the inoculation of the mixed yeast culture. By combining the PCR-DGGE results with the FISH analyses, it was found that yeast probably consisting mainly of the five inoculated strains inhabited in the two bioaugmentation systems as a dominant population. The relatively higher performance of the SY system might be attributed to the suspended growth type which permitted a more efficient contact between microbial cells and contaminants. The bioaugmentation systems (SY and MY) were successfully established by inoculating with five nonindigenous yeast strains and demonstrated high performance in removal of HMW-PAHs.     

Exposure to heavy metals in blood and risk perception of the population living in the vicinity of municipal waste incinerators in Korea

Background, aim, and scope

The purpose of this study was to monitor and present the heavy metal concentrations in the blood of residents of areas near municipal waste incinerators (MWIs), who are more prone to environmental pollution. We also sought to compare and analyze the residents?? perception of environmental pollution as one of the factors affecting heavy metal concentrations in the blood using a survey about the perceived damage caused by the facilities. Since heavy metal levels in the blood can be affected not only by local environmental pollution but also by personal and occupational factors, heavy metal levels in the blood need to be verified and consistently monitored.

Methods

Residents who live within 300?m of MWIs in Seoul are acknowledged to be under indirect influence according to the Waste Disposal Act. A survey was given to 841 residents living within 300?m of a MWI from 2006 to 2009. The concentrations of heavy metals (lead, cadmium, and mercury) in the blood were measured in the 841 surveyed residents and in 105 residents in reference areas. Additionally, the perception of the damage caused by municipal waste incinerators was investigated using scores from 1 to 5 on a Likert scale.

Results

The measurements of the heavy metal concentrations in the blood showed that the mean concentrations of lead, cadmium, and mercury were 43.1, 1.7, and 1.3?ug/L, respectively. The blood levels of lead and cadmium were slightly higher in the group of the subjects who had resided the longest near the municipal waste incinerators. When compared with the domestic investigation by the Ministry of Environment, the concentrations of lead and cadmium were a little higher, while that of mercury was a little lower. Overall, there was no significant difference in the distribution of heavy metal levels in the blood among age groups. Additionally, the investigation of the perceived damage from municipal waste incinerators showed that the subjects     

Can body-size patterns of ciliated zooplankton be used for assessing marine water quality? A case study on bioassessment in Jiaozhou Bay, northern Yellow Sea

Introduction

In order to reveal the potential relationships between body-size patterns of microzooplankton and environmental status, the spatial patterns in body-size spectra of ciliated zooplanktons were studied based on an annual dataset in a bay of the Yellow Sea, northern China.

Materials and methods

A total of 120 samples were collected at a depth of 1?m from each of five sampling sites with a spatial gradient of environmental stress from June 2007 to May 2008. A range of physico-chemical variables were measured synchronously for comparison with biotic parameters.

Results

The spatial body-size patterns of ciliated zooplankton represented significant differences among the five sites, and were significantly correlated with the changes of physico-chemical parameters, especially salinity, dissolved oxygen and nutrients. Two paired indices, the average body-size distinctness (AvBSD) and the variation in body-size distinctness (VarBSD), were proposed based on the trait resemblances among ciliate species in body-size pattern. The paired measures showed a clear decreasing trend of departure from the expected body-size spectra in response to water quality status.

Conclusion

These results suggest that the body-size pattern of ciliated zooplankton might be used as a potential indicator of marine water quality.     

Heterogeneous photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange in schwertmannite/oxalate suspension under UV irradiation

Introduction

Schwertmannite was synthesized through an oxidation of FeSO₄ by Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans LX5 cell suspension at an initial pH?2.5 and 28°C for 3?days and characterized using X-ray diffraction spectroscopy and scanning electron microscope. The schwertmannite photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange (MO) by oxalate was investigated at different initial pH values, concentrations of schwertmannite, oxalate, and MO.

Results

The results demonstrated that photodegradation of MO in the presence of schwertmannite or oxalate alone was very weak. However, the removal of MO was significantly enhanced when schwertmannite and oxalate coexisted in the reaction system. Low pH (4 or less) was beneficial to the degradation of MO. The optimal doses of schwertmannite and oxalate were 0.2?g?L^?1 and 2?mM, respectively. Hydroxyl radicals (·OH) and Fe(II), the intermediate products, were also examined during the reaction to explore their correlation with the degradation of MO.

Conclusion

A possible mechanism for the photocatalytic decomposition of MO in the study was proposed. The formation of Fe(III)-oxalate complexes on the surface of schwertmannite was a precursor of H₂O₂ and Fe(II) production, further leading to the yield of ·OH responsible for the decomposition of MO.     

Utilization and degradation of imazaquin by a naturally occurring isolate of Arthrobacter crystallopoietes

A species of bacteria that is capable of utilizing imazaquin as the sole carbon source was isolated from soil with repeated imazaquin applications, and was identified as Arthrobacter crystallopoietes (designated as strain “WWX-1”). This isolate degrades imazaquin as high as 200 μg ml⁻¹, and the estimated dissipation half-lives increased from 1.51 d for the treatment at 50 μg ml⁻¹ to 4.75 d for 200 μg ml⁻¹. Optimal growth of WWX-1 in mineral salt medium with 50 μg ml⁻¹ imazaquin was obtained at 35 °C and a pH of 5.0. Growth of WWX-1 was also observed in mineral salt medium with the addition of other imidazolinone herbicides such as imazethapyr and imazapyr, but not with different classes of herbicides such as metsulfuron-methyl. Two imazaquin metabolites were detected, and spectral analysis with HPLC–MS, ¹H NMR, and IR revealed one metabolite with a molecular weight (MW) of 199 as quinoline-2,3-dicarboxylic anhydride. We propose that A. crystallopoietes (WWX-1) could serve as an efficient biodegradation system for remediation of water and soils that are heavily contaminated with imazaquin or other structurally similar chemicals.     

Investigation of a new approach to decompose two potent greenhouse gases: photoreduction of SF(6) and SF(5)CF(3) in the presence of acetone

In this paper, we addressed the utilization of photochemical method as an innovative technology for the destruction and removal of two potent greenhouse gases, SF(6) and SF(5)CF(3). The destruction and removal efficiency (DRE) of the process was determined as a function of excitation wavelength, irradiation time, initial ratio of acetone to SF(5)X (X represented F or CF(3)), initial SF(5)X concentration, additive oxygen and water vapor concentration. A complete removal was achieved by a radiation period of 55min and 120min for SF(6)-CH(3)COCH(3) system and SF(5)CF(3)-CH(3)COCH(3) system respectively under 184.9nm irradiation. Extra addition of water vapor can enhance DRE by approximately 6% points in both systems. Further studies with GC/MS and FT-IR proved that no hazardous products such as S(2)F(10), SO(2)F(2), SOF(2), SOF(4) were generated in this process.     

Ambient air monitoring of PCDD/Fs and co-PCBs in Gyeonggi-do, Korea

We started the monitoring for PCDD/Fs in ambient air and soil in August 2001, and co-PCBs in January 2002. Decreasing of PCDD/Fs and co-PCBs levels in ambient air were observed. The higher PCDD/Fs levels were found in winter and lower in autumn. We found that the industrial incinerators influenced the PCDD/Fs levels in ambient air. In the 2,3,7,8-substituted PCDD/Fs concentration profiles, the three major congeners occupied 67% of the total mass. In case of co-PCBs, PCB#118, #105 and #77 were observed as the main congeners. Five cluster groups discriminated by ratio of four components, O(8)CDD, 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-H(7)CDD, 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-H(7)CDF and O(8)CDF, were obtained from HCA (hierarchical cluster analysis).     

Characterization of PM2.5 aerosols dominated by local pollution and Asian dust observed at an urban site in Korea during aerosol characterization experiments (ACE)--Asia Project

Daily fine particulate matter (PM2.5) samples were collected at Gwangju, Korea, during the Aerosol Characterization Experiments (ACE)-Asia Project to determine the chemical properties of PM2.5 originating from local pollution and Asian dust (AD) storms. During the study period, two significant events occurred on April 10-13 and 24-25, 2001, and a minor event occurred on April 19, 2001. Based on air mass transport pathways identified by back-trajectory calculation, the PM2.5 dataset was classified into three types of aerosol populations: local pollution and two AD aerosol types. The two AD types were transported along different pathways. One originated from Gobi desert area in Mongolia, passing through Hunshandake desert in Northern Inner Mongolia, urban and polluted regions of China (AD1), and the other originated in sandy deserts located in the Northeast Inner Mongolia Plateau and then flowed southward through the Korean peninsula (AD2). During the AD2 event, a smoke plume that originated in North Korea was transported to our study site. Mass balance closures show that crustal materials were the most significant species during both AD events, contributing -48% to the PM2.5 mass; sulfate aerosols (19.1%) and organic matter (OM; 24.6%) were the second greatest contributors during the AD1 and AD2 periods, respectively, indicating that aerosol properties were dependent on the transport pathway. The sulfate concentration constituted only 6.4% (4.5 microg/m3) of the AD2 PM2.5 mass. OM was the major chemical species in the local pollution-dominated PM2.5 aerosols, accounting for 28.7% of the measured PM2.5 mass, followed by sulfate (21.4%), nitrate (15%), ammonium (12.8%), elemental carbon (8.9%), and crustal material (6.5%). Together with substantial enhancement of the crustal elements (Mg, Al, K, Ca, Sc, Ti, Mn, Fe, Sr, Zr, Ba, and Ce), higher concentrations of pollution elements (S, V, Ni, Zn, As, Cd, and Pb) were observed during AD1 and AD2 than during the local pollution period, indicating that, in addition to crustal material, the AD dust storms also had a significant influence on anthropogenic elements.     

Biological solids reduction using the Cannibal process.

A laboratory study of the Cannibal process was undertaken to determine if the Cannibal system would generate less sludge compared with a conventional activated sludge system. Side-by-side sequencing batch reactors were operated--one using the Cannibal configuration and the other as conventional activated sludge. It was found that the Cannibal process generated 60% less solids than the conventional activated sludge system, without any negative effect on the effluent quality or the settling characteristics of the activated sludge. The oxygen uptake rate for the centrate from the Cannibal bioreactor showed that readily biodegradable organic matter was released from the recycled biomass in the Cannibal bioreactor. It is proposed that the mechanism for reduced solids from the Cannibal system is that, in the Cannibal bioreactor, iron is reduced, releasing iron-bound organic material into solution. When the Cannibal biomass is recirculated back to the aeration basin, the released organic material is rapidly degraded.     

催化湿式氧化技术处理山梨酸生产废水的研究

采用催化湿式氧化技术处理生产山梨酸过程中产生的高浓度有机废水,对催化剂组分进行优选.对反应温度、O2分压(Po2)和废水pH等工艺条件进行考察.实验结果表明:采用自制CuO-Cr2O3-La2O3/TiO2为复合催化剂处理该有机废水时表现出较好的催化活性;在190℃、Po2=2.1 MPa、pH=6.1、COD=10 030.0 mg/L时,反应90 min的COD去除率达到98.3%,而在相同条件下未加催化剂的湿式氧化的COD去除率只有60.1%.