Benzophenone-type ultraviolet-filters (BPs) are commonly used in varieties of pharmaceuticals and personal care products, including sunscreens and many cosmetics. The widespread use of BPs causes a significant release into aquatic environments, via either human recreational activities or effluents of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). BPs are identified as environmental hormones that can disrupt the endocrine system of living organisms in ecosystems. Little information about BPs biodegradation and their biometabolites is researched. The objective of this study is to evaluate aerobic biodegradation of BPs by isolated bacterial stains from WWTP sludge. As result, bacterial strains show the higher ability to utilize BP-1 (2, 4-dihydroxybenzophenone) or BP-3 (oxybenzone) as the sole carbon source detected via the fast and accurate microplate method (Biolog® MT2). BP-1/BP-3 biodegradation is performed by every single strain in batch experiments. The pseudo-first-order rate constants of BP-1 biodegradation, are compared as follows: BP1-D strain (0.628 hr-1) &gt; BP1-A strain (0.337 hr-1) &gt; BP1-F strain (0.141 hr-1), which all of these strains are identified as Pseudomonas sp. The percentage of BP-1 mineralization is measured as the range of 70.78%-98.04%. Moreover, the pseudo-first-order rate constants of BP-3 biodegradation are compared as following: BP3-5 strain (0.187 hr-1) &gt; BP3-4 strain (0.180 hr-1) &gt; BP3-1 strain (0.143 hr-1). The percentage of BP-3 mineralization is measured as the range of 55.44%-58.20%. These strains are identified as Gordonia sp. (BP3-1), Pseudomonas sp. (BP3-4), and Rhodococcus sp. (BP3-5), respectively. Further analysis of biometabolites during biodegradation, both BP-1 and BP-3 are first biotransformed into the (4-hydroxyphenyl)(phenyl)methanon compound, then decomposed continuing into small-molecular-weight biometabolites, such as hydroquinone. These results provide a novel reference for aerobic biodegradation of BPs-contained sewage/wastewater in the future.

Aerobic biodegradation of benzophenone-type UV-filter by bacterial strains isolated from WWTP sludge

ACS Spring Meeting 2021

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