Aerobic biotransformation of technical nonylphenol (NP) was studied in microcosms constructed with soil from a wastewater percolation site in Mesa, Arizona (USA). The enrichment of ortho-NP isomers and the formation of branched tertiary nonyl alcohols indicated that NP was degraded by ipso-hydroxylation. At present, only Sphingomonads are known to degrade para-NP by ipso-hydroxylation. Attempts to isolate the bacteria responsible were unsuccessful. While Sphingomonadales are found in many aquatic and terrestrial environments, a clone library (n=67) using Mesa soil found none. Twelve clones from an additional clone library (n=45) were selected at random and screened using two different Sphingomonadales-specific primers combinations; eleven gave positive results for one or both primers. Sequencing showed the presence of several bacteria taxa closely related to Sphingomonadales, but no Sphingomonadales. These results coupled with the NP metabolites observed in the Mesa microcosms suggest that ipso-hydroxylation may be perfomed by bacteria other than Sphingomonadales.

Microbial community analysis of a soil microcosm capable of nonylphenol degradation: Are Sphingomonadales the only bacteria capable of ipso-hydroxylation?

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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