Biodegradation of nonylphenol polyethoxylates by denitrifying activated sludge

Biodegradation of nonylphenol polyethoxylates (NPEOs) by denitrifying activated sludge was investigated. The results showed that NPEOs were readily degraded in the denitrifying activated sludge process. Organic substance, initial concentration, and temperature had great influence on biodegradation o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Water research (Oxford) 2008-02, Vol.42 (4), p.1075-1082
Main Authors: Lu, Jian, Jin, Qiang, He, Yiliang, Wu, Jun, Zhang, Wenying, Zhao, Juan
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acetates - pharmacology
activated sludge
aerobic conditions
Applied sciences
Bacillus - drug effects
Bacillus - metabolism
biochemical pathways
Biodegradation
Biodegradation, Environmental - drug effects
Bioreactors
chemical concentration
denitrification
Denitrifying activated sludge
Exact sciences and technology
Glucose - pharmacology
Methanol - pharmacology
Nitrogen
Nonylphenol polyethoxylates
nonylphenol polyethyoxylates
organic compounds
organic matter
Organic substance
Other industrial wastes. Sewage sludge
Pathway
Phenols - pharmacology
pollutants
Pollution
Polyethylene Glycols - metabolism
polyphenols
Sewage
sewage treatment
Temperature
Temperature coefficient
Waste Disposal, Fluid - methods
Wastes
Water Pollutants, Chemical - metabolism
Water treatment and pollution
Yeasts
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Summary:Biodegradation of nonylphenol polyethoxylates (NPEOs) by denitrifying activated sludge was investigated. The results showed that NPEOs were readily degraded in the denitrifying activated sludge process. Organic substance, initial concentration, and temperature had great influence on biodegradation of NPEOs in the denitrifying activated sludge process while the influence of biodegradation intermediates such as nonylphenol (NP) could be neglected. Biodegradation of NPEOs was severely inhibited in the presence of organic substances. Different organic substances had different inhibition ability on the biodegradation of NPEOs. The maximum biodegradation rate increased 2.51 μM d −1 for each 10 μM increase in initial concentration of NPEOs. This linear relationship was maintained even at relatively high initial concentration. The decrease in temperature caused a sharp decrease in the removal efficiency of NPEOs. The temperature coefficient ( Φ) for the biodegradation of NPEOs in the denitrifying activated sludge process was 0.011 °C −1. NPEOs were biodegraded through a nonoxidative pathway, through which NPEOs were degraded via sequential removal of ethoxyl units (as acetaldehyde) to NP. Compared to anaerobic activated sludge treatment, denitrifying activated sludge treatment had much higher removal efficiency of NPEO contaminants. To our knowledge, it is the first report on the biodegradation of NPEOs in denitrifying activated sludge process.
ISSN:0043-1354
1879-2448
DOI:10.1016/j.watres.2007.09.031