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Simultaneous biodegradation of phenol and carbon tetrachloride mediated by humic acids

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Abstract

The capacity of an anaerobic sediment to achieve the simultaneous biodegradation of phenol and carbon tetrachloride (CT) was evaluated, using humic acids (HA) as redox mediator. The presence of HA in sediment incubations increased the rate of biodegradation of phenol and the rate of dehalogenation (2.5-fold) of CT compared to controls lacking HA. Further experiments revealed that the electron-accepting capacity of HA derived from different organic-rich environments was not associated with their reducing capacity to achieve CT dechlorination. The collected kinetic data suggest that the reduction of CT by reduced HA was the rate-limiting step during the simultaneous biodegradation of phenol and CT. To our knowledge, the present study constitutes the first demonstration of the simultaneous biodegradation of two priority pollutants mediated by HA.

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Abbreviations

HA:

Humic acids

ETC:

Electron-transferring capacity

TEA:

Terminal electron acceptor

RM:

Redox mediators

AQDS:

Anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonate

CT:

Carbon tetrachloride

CS:

Anaerobic sludge from a factory of candies

PS:

Anaerobic sludge from a paper-mill factory

S:

Sediment

VS:

Volatile solids

VFA:

Volatile fatty acids

AH2QDS:

Anthrahydroquinone-2,6-disulfonate

R 2 :

Coefficient of determination

SCP:

Soil of cocoa plantation

SDF:

Soil of deciduous forest in San Luis Potosí, Mexico

GWC:

Compost produced with gardening wastes

IHSS:

International Humic Substance Society

EAC:

Electron accepting capacity

μEq:

Micro-electron equivalents

CF:

Chloroform

DCM:

Dichloromethane

k d2 :

Second-order rate constant

k d1 :

First-order rate constant

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Acknowledgments

The present study was financially supported by the Council of Science and Technology of Mexico (SEP-CONACYT Grants 55045 and 155656) and by the Lettinga Associates Foundation (Lettinga Award 2007). C. M. Martínez-Rodríguez is grateful for the scholarship for PhD studies from CONACyT (Grant 206474). We acknowledge the use of facilities of the National Laboratory of Agricultural, Medical and Environmental Biotechnology (LANBAMA). We thank the technical assistance of M.C. Rocha-Medina, G. Vidriales-Escobar and D. Partida-Gutiérrez.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. División de Ciencias Ambientales, Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (IPICyT), Camino a la Presa San José 2055, Col. Lomas 4ª Sección, 78216, San Luis Potosí, SLP, Mexico

    Claudia M. Martínez, Luis H. Alvarez & Francisco J. Cervantes

  2. Department of Biotechnology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU-Trondheim), 7491, Trondheim, Norway

    Francisco J. Cervantes

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  1. Claudia M. Martínez
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  2. Luis H. Alvarez
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  3. Francisco J. Cervantes
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Correspondence to Claudia M. Martínez.

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Martínez, C.M., Alvarez, L.H. & Cervantes, F.J. Simultaneous biodegradation of phenol and carbon tetrachloride mediated by humic acids. Biodegradation 23, 635–644 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10532-012-9539-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10532-012-9539-8

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