Aerobic biodegradation has been considered to be the main attenuation mechanism for microcystins, but the role of anoxic biodegradation remains unclear. We investigated the potential for anoxic biodegradation of microcystin and the effects of environmental factors on the process through a series of well-controlled microcosm experiments using lake sediments as inocula. Microcystin LR could be degraded anoxically from 5mgL(-1) to below the detection limit at 25 degrees C within 2 days after a lag phase of 2 days. The rate was highly dependent on temperature, with a favorable temperature range of 20-30 degrees C. The addition of glucose or low levels of NH(4)-N had no effect on the anoxic biodegradation of microcystin, whereas the addition of NO(3)-N significantly inhibited the biodegradation at all experimental concentrations, and the inhibition increased with increasing amount of NO(3)-N-amended. Adda (3-amino-9-methoxy-2,6,8-trimethyl-10-phenyl-deca-4,6-dienoic acid), a previously reported nontoxic product of aerobic degradation of microcystin, was identified as the anoxic biodegradation product. This is the first report of Adda as a degradation product of microcystin under anoxic conditions. No other product containing Adda residue was detected during the anoxic degradation of microcystin. These results strongly indicated that anoxic biodegradation is an effective removal pathway of microcystin in lake sediments, and represents a significant bioremediation potential.
Copyright 2009. Published by Elsevier Ltd.