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Degradation of N-nitrosodimethylamine and its amine precursors by cumene-induced Rhodococcus sp. strain L4

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Abstract

N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) is a potential carcinogen that is produced as a disinfection by-product of chloramination or chlorination process in water and wastewater treatment systems. The ability of the dioxygenase-expressing bacteria, Rhodococcus sp. strain L4, to degrade NDMA after induction with cumene was examined in the presence and absence of its potential precursors. Dimethylamine (DMA), aniline (AN) and humic acid (HA) were selected as the precursors. The induced bacteria were able to degrade NDMA from initial concentrations ranging between 1 and 10 mg L−1 to an undetectable level (< 0.24 µg L−1) while there was no degradation of NDMA by the corresponding non-induced strain. The specific first-order degradation rate of NDMA ranged from 0.337 to 0.426 μg g-protein−1 h−1. Successful removal of all precursors was achieved by the induced bacteria. The presence of DMA had no negative effect on NDMA degradation. In contrast, a lag period was observed for the degradation of NDMA when AN or HA was present (except for the presence of 0.1 mg L−1 AN). In the presence of all precursors, NDMA degradation was negatively affected by the increased concentration (from 1 to 10 mg L−1) of all precursors.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the Graduate School, Prince of Songkla University (PSU) through the Songklanakarin-Ph.D. scholarship and graduate school dissertation fund. Support was also provided by a PSU-Postdoctoral fellowship and the Thailand National Research Fund project, Songkla lake basin, Songkhla province, Thailand. The authors would like to thank Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ekawan Luepromchai (Chulalongkorn University) for kindly providing us the bacterial strain to carry out this study. We are grateful to Prof. Dr. Eakalak Khan (Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Department, University of Nevada, Las Vegas) for his helpful reviews of the manuscript.

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  1. Environmental Assessment and Technology for Hazardous Waste Management Research Center, Faculty of Environmental Management, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla, 90112, Thailand

    Warangkana Na-Phatthalung & Oramas Suttinun

  2. Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla, 90112, Thailand

    Warangkana Na-Phatthalung & Charongpun Musikavong

  3. Center of Excellence on Hazardous Substance Management (HSM), Bangkok, 10330, Thailand

    Charongpun Musikavong & Oramas Suttinun

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  1. Warangkana Na-Phatthalung
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Correspondence to Oramas Suttinun.

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Na-Phatthalung, W., Musikavong, C. & Suttinun, O. Degradation of N-nitrosodimethylamine and its amine precursors by cumene-induced Rhodococcus sp. strain L4. Biodegradation 30, 375–388 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10532-019-09876-9

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