Abstract
Biodegradability of 2-Chlorophenol (2-CP), 3-Chlorophenol (3-CP), 4-Chlorophenol (4-CP), 2,4-Dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) and 2,4,6 Trichlorophenol (2,4,6-TCP) has been tested in surface waters in the urban area of Buenos Aires. Samples were taken from the La Plata River and from the Reconquista and Matanza-Riachuelo basins, with a total amount of 18 sampling points. Water quality was established measuring chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), and both Escherichia coli and Enterococcus counts. Biodegradability was carried out by a respirometric method, using a concentration of 20 mg L−1 of chlorophenol, and the surface water as inoculum. Chlorophenols concentration in the same water samples were simultaneously measured by a solid phase microextraction (SPME) procedure followed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). 2,4-DCP was the most degradable compound followed by 2,4,6-TCP, 4-CP, 3-CP and 2-CP. Biodegradability showed no correlation with compound concentration. At most sampling points the concentration was below the detection limit for all congeners. Biodegradability does not correlate even with COD, BOD5, or fecal contamination. Biodegradability assays highlighted information about bacterial exposure to contaminants that parameters routinely used for watercourse characterization do not reveal. For this reason, they might be a helpful tool to complete the characterization of a site.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
ACUMAR (2015). Base de datos hidrológica-Cuenca Matanza Riachuelo. BDH-CMR http://www.bdh.acumar.gov.ar:8081/bdh3/aguasuperficial_listado.php. Accessed 7 Apr 2017
Alexander M (1999) Biodegradation and bioremediation, 2nd edn. Academic Press, London
Al-Janabi KWS, Alazawi FN, Mohammed MI, Kadhum AAH, Mohamad AB (2011) Chlorophenols in Tigris River and drinking water of Baghdad, Iraq. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 87:106–112. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-011-0315-y
APHA (2012) American Public Health Association, American Water Works Association, Water Environment Federation (2012) Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater, 22nd edn. APHA, Washington, DC
ATSDR (1999) Agency for toxic substances and disease registry. Toxicological profile for chlorophenols. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Atlanta, GA
ATSDR (2015) Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Department of Health and Human Services. CERCLA (Comprensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act). Priority List of Hazardous Substances. https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/spl/. Accessed 14 Apr 2017
Czaplicka M (2004) Sources and transformations of chlorophenols in the natural environment. Sci Total Environ 322:21–39. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2003.09.015
El-Naas MH, Mousa HA, El Gamal M, Switzerland (2017) Microbial degradation of chlorophenols. In: Singh SN (ed) Microbe-induced degradation of pesticides. Springer International Publishing, Cham (ZG), p 23–58. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-45156-5
EPA (2017) PBTprofiler. http://www.pbtprofiler.net. Accessed 6 Feb 2017
Field J, Sierra-Alvarez R (2008) Microbial degradation of chlorinated phenols. Rev Environ Sci Biotechnol 7:211. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11157-007-9124-5
González AJ, Gallego A, Gemini VL, Papalia M, Radice M, Gutkind G. Planes E, Korol SE (2012) Degradation and detoxification of the herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) by an indigenous Delftia sp. strain in batch and continuous systems. Int Biodeterior Biodeg 66:8–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibiod.2011.09.010
Häggblom MM, Bossert ID (2003) Halogenated organic compounds: a global perspective. In: Häggblom MM, Bossert ID (eds) Dehalogenation: microbial processes and environmental applications. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Boston, p 3–29
Huang DS, Tseng IC (1996) Toxicity of phenol and monochlorophenols to growth and metabolic activities of Pseudomonas. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 57:69–76. https://doi.org/10.1007/s001289900157
IARC (1999). Monographs on the evaluation of carcinogenic risks to humans. Summary of data reported and evaluation. In: Re-evaluation of some organic chemicals, hydrazine and hydrogen peroxide, vol 71. World Health Organization.http://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Monographs/vol71/volume71.pdf. Accessed 3 Apr 2017
Igbinosa OE, Odjadjare EE, Chigor VN, Igbinosa IH, Emoghene AO, Ekhaise FO, Igiehon NO, Idemudia OG (2013) Toxicological profile of chlorophenols and their derivatives in the environment: the public health perspective. Sci World J, https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/460215 https://www.hindawi.com/journals/tswj/2013/460215/ Accesed 14 Feb 2017
Liu D, Pacepavicius G (1990) A systematic study of the aerobic and anaerobic biodegradation of 18 chlorophenols and 2 cresols. Toxic Assess 5:367–387. https://doi.org/10.1002/tox.2540050405
Liu D, Thomson K, Kaiser KLE (1982) Quantitative structure-toxicity relationship of halogenated phenols on bacteria. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 29:130–136. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01606140
Michałowicz J, Bukowska B, Duda W (2008) The differences in phenolic content in rivers exposed and non-exposed to anthropogenic contamination. Chemosphere 71:735–741. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2007.10.017
Milner CR, Goulder R (1986) Comparative toxicity of chlorophenols, nitrophenols, and phenoxyalkanoic acids to freshwater bacteria bull. Environ Contam Toxicol 37:714–718. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01607829
Natale OE (2005) Water quality indicators for the La Plata River Basin. IWG-Env, International Work Session on Water Statistics, Vienna, http://unstats.un.org/unsd/environment/envpdf/pap_wasess5a3laplatariver.pdf. Accessed 6 Mar 2017
OECD 1992 OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) 1992 Guidelines for testing of chemicals. https://www.oecd.org/chemicalsafety/risk-assessment/1948209.pdf. Accessed 22 Sept 2017
Olaniran AO, Igbinosa EO (2011) Chlorophenols and other related derivatives of environmental concern: properties, distribution and microbial degradation processes. Chemosphere 83:1297–1306. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2007.10.017
Polo AM, Tobajas M, Sanchis S, Mohedano AF, Rodríguez JJ (2011) Comparison of experimental methods for determination of toxicity and biodegradability of xenobiotic compounds. Biodegradation 22:751–761. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10532-010-9448-7
Salibián A (2006) Ecotoxicological assessment of the highly polluted Reconquista River of Argentina. In: Ware GW, Nigg HN, Dorge DR (eds) Reviews of environmental contamination and toxicology. Springer, New York, p 35–65
Wegman RCC, Hofstee WM (1979) Chlorophenols in surface waters of the Netherlands (1976–1977). Water Res 13:651–657. https://doi.org/10.1016/0043-1354(79)90015-0
Ying GG, Kookana RS (2007) Triclosan in wastewaters and biosolids from Australian wastewater treatment plants. Environ Int 33:199–205. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2006.09.008
Yuang X, Lu GH, Su LM (2005) Correlation study of toxicity of substituted phenols to river bacteria and their biodegradability in river water. Biomed Environ Sci 18:281–285
Zhong W, Wang D, Xua X (2012) Phenol removal efficiencies of sewage treatment processes and ecological risks associated with phenols in effluents. J Haz Mat 217– 218:286–292. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2012.03.026
Acknowledgements
We thank the Universidad de Buenos Aires for the grant given for this study, supported by UBACYT Program-Project 20020130100378BA 2014–2017.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gallego, A., Laurino Soulé, J., Napolitano, H. et al. Biodegradability of Chlorophenols in Surface Waters from the Urban Area of Buenos Aires. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 100, 541–547 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-018-2300-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-018-2300-1