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Anaerobic degradation of 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid by enrichment cultures from freshwater sediments

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Abstract

The anaerobic biodegradation of 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T) was investigated using enrichment cultures from freshwater sediments at two different sites in the region of Halle, central Germany. 2,4,5-T and different organic acids or hydrogen were added as possible electron acceptor and electron donors, respectively. The primary enrichment cultures from Saale river sediment completely degraded 2,4,5-T to 3-chlorophenol (3-CP) (major product) and 3,4-dichlorophenol (3,4-DCP) during a 28-day incubation period. Subcultures showed ether cleavage of 2,4,5-T to 2,4,5-trichlorophenol and its stoichiometric dechlorination to 3-CP only in the presence of butyrate. In contrast, the primary enrichment culture from sediment of Posthorn pond dechlorinated 2,4,5-T to 2,5-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,5-D), which, in the presence of butyrate, was degraded further to products such as 3,4-DCP, 2,5-DCP, and 3CP, indicating ether cleaving activities and subsequent dechlorination steps. Experiments with pure cultures of Dehalococcoides mccartyi and Desulfitobacterium hafniense demonstrated their specific dechlorination steps within the overall 2,4,5-T degradation pathways. The results indicate that the route and efficiency of anaerobic 2,4,5-T degradation in the environment depend heavily on the microorganisms present and the availability of slowly fermentable organic compounds.

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Funding

This work was financially supported by a grant of the German Research Council (FOR1530) to HA and UL. We thank Janine Voigtländer and Stefan Schwoch (Institute of Biology, Microbiology, Halle, Germany) for valuable assistance in some experiments. We are grateful to Gary Sawers for support and comments on the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Biology/Microbiology, Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany

    Hassan Al-Fathi & Ute Lechner

  2. Institute of Chemistry/Food and Environmental Chemistry, Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany

    Mandy Koch & Wilhelm G. Lorenz

  3. Department Environmental Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research–UFZ, Leipzig, Germany

    Hassan Al-Fathi

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  1. Hassan Al-Fathi
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  2. Mandy Koch
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  3. Wilhelm G. Lorenz
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  4. Ute Lechner
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Correspondence to Ute Lechner.

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Al-Fathi, H., Koch, M., Lorenz, W.G. et al. Anaerobic degradation of 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid by enrichment cultures from freshwater sediments. Environ Sci Pollut Res 26, 34459–34467 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-06584-y

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