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Ultraviolet treatment and biodegradation of dibenzothiophene: Identification and toxicity of products.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Cooper, EM; Stapleton, HM; Matson, CW; Di Giulio, RT; Schuler, AJ
Published in: Environmental toxicology and chemistry
November 2010

Biodegradation of pollutants often results in incomplete mineralization and formation of degradation products with unknown chemical and toxicological characteristics. Ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, a common technology used in water and wastewater treatment, may help reduce aqueous concentrations of degradation products produced during biological treatment and their associated hazards. Combined biological and UV transformations may be important in natural systems as well. We investigated the effects of UV irradiation (254 nm) on dibenzothiophene (DBT), a sulfur-containing polyaromatic hydrocarbon, in artificial seawater, and its effects on biodegradation products produced from mixed-community microbial transformations of DBT, including DBT sulfone, DBT sulfoxide, hydroxylated and carboxylated benzothiophenes, thiosalicylic acid, and others. Toxicity of solutions after UV exposure was monitored using bioluminescent bacteria (Vibrio fischeri) and by evaluating cardiac deformities in Fundulus heteroclitus embryos. The highest UV fluence reduced DBT concentration by 28% when DBT was present as the sole organic solute. In postbiodegradation solution, the same fluence reduced the initial concentration of DBT by 81%, and 11 DBT biodegradation products to trace levels. Regardless of UV fluence, DBT by itself produced minimal effects in Fundulus embryos but was moderately toxic to V. fischeri. Postbiodegradation solutions were highly toxic to both test organisms. The highest UV fluence slightly reduced toxicity of postbiodegradation solution to V. fischeri but exacerbated cardiac deformities in Fundulus embryos. Toxicity could not be attributed to specific products and was likely a result of mixture effects. These results emphasize that toxicity can increase during remediation and that multiple assays may be necessary for evaluation. The novel approach of combined biodegradation/UV treatment is promising, although further research is needed to reduce toxicity in the case of DBT.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Environmental toxicology and chemistry

DOI

EISSN

1552-8618

ISSN

0730-7268

Publication Date

November 2010

Volume

29

Issue

11

Start / End Page

2409 / 2416

Related Subject Headings

  • Water Pollutants, Chemical
  • Ultraviolet Rays
  • Thiophenes
  • Fundulidae
  • Environmental Sciences
  • Biodegradation, Environmental
  • Animals
  • Aliivibrio fischeri
  • 41 Environmental sciences
  • 34 Chemical sciences
 

Citation

APA
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ICMJE
MLA
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Cooper, E. M., Stapleton, H. M., Matson, C. W., Di Giulio, R. T., & Schuler, A. J. (2010). Ultraviolet treatment and biodegradation of dibenzothiophene: Identification and toxicity of products. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 29(11), 2409–2416. https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.312
Cooper, Ellen M., Heather M. Stapleton, Cole W. Matson, Richard T. Di Giulio, and Andrew J. Schuler. “Ultraviolet treatment and biodegradation of dibenzothiophene: Identification and toxicity of products.Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 29, no. 11 (November 2010): 2409–16. https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.312.
Cooper EM, Stapleton HM, Matson CW, Di Giulio RT, Schuler AJ. Ultraviolet treatment and biodegradation of dibenzothiophene: Identification and toxicity of products. Environmental toxicology and chemistry. 2010 Nov;29(11):2409–16.
Cooper, Ellen M., et al. “Ultraviolet treatment and biodegradation of dibenzothiophene: Identification and toxicity of products.Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, vol. 29, no. 11, Nov. 2010, pp. 2409–16. Epmc, doi:10.1002/etc.312.
Cooper EM, Stapleton HM, Matson CW, Di Giulio RT, Schuler AJ. Ultraviolet treatment and biodegradation of dibenzothiophene: Identification and toxicity of products. Environmental toxicology and chemistry. 2010 Nov;29(11):2409–2416.
Journal cover image

Published In

Environmental toxicology and chemistry

DOI

EISSN

1552-8618

ISSN

0730-7268

Publication Date

November 2010

Volume

29

Issue

11

Start / End Page

2409 / 2416

Related Subject Headings

  • Water Pollutants, Chemical
  • Ultraviolet Rays
  • Thiophenes
  • Fundulidae
  • Environmental Sciences
  • Biodegradation, Environmental
  • Animals
  • Aliivibrio fischeri
  • 41 Environmental sciences
  • 34 Chemical sciences