Dissolved organic matter mediates in the anaerobic degradation of 17α-ethinylestradiol in a coupled electrochemical and biological system

Huan He; Bin Huang; Xintong Zhu; Nao Luo; Shijie Sun; Hongyu Deng; Xuejun Pan; Dionysios D Dionysiou

doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2019.121924

Dissolved organic matter mediates in the anaerobic degradation of 17α-ethinylestradiol in a coupled electrochemical and biological system

Bioresour Technol. 2019 Nov:292:121924. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2019.121924. Epub 2019 Jul 30.

Authors

Huan He¹, Bin Huang², Xintong Zhu³, Nao Luo³, Shijie Sun³, Hongyu Deng³, Xuejun Pan⁴, Dionysios D Dionysiou⁵

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China; Environmental Engineering and Science Program, Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA.
² Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China; Yunnan Provincial Key Laboratory of Carbon Sequestration and Pollution Control in Soils, Kunming 650500, China. Electronic address: huangbin@kmust.edu.cn.
³ Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China.
⁴ Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China; Yunnan Provincial Key Laboratory of Carbon Sequestration and Pollution Control in Soils, Kunming 650500, China.
⁵ Environmental Engineering and Science Program, Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA.

PMID: 31386945
DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2019.121924

Abstract

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) can act as an electron shuttle in biogeochemical redox reactions to affect the fate of contaminants. Herein DOMs were tested for their ability to mediate in the degradation of 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) in a coupled electrochemical and biological system. Fulvic acid (FA) and Sigma humic acid (SHA) were found to promote degradation by the electro-domesticated micro-organisms in the coupled system. Analyses of superoxide dismutase levels, microbial community and clusters of orthologous groups of proteins showed that electrical stimulation promoted their growth and metabolism. It was confirmed that electron transfer in the coupled system was promoted in the presence of DOM as their protein-like components were converted into aromatic substances. The electrical stimulation improved the microorganisms' effectiveness in subsequent biodegradation under anaerobic condition. Stimulated micro-organisms seemed to increase their environmental tolerance and degrade EE2 effectively. These findings provide evidence about the fate of estrogens in bioelectrochemical water treatment.

Keywords: Biological water purification; Dissolved organic matter; Electrochemical water purification; Electron transfer; Estrogens.

MeSH terms

Anaerobiosis
Biodegradation, Environmental
Ethinyl Estradiol*
Humic Substances
Water Pollutants, Chemical*

Substances

Humic Substances
Water Pollutants, Chemical
Ethinyl Estradiol