Strategies to evaluate biodegradability: Application to chlorinated herbicides

The biodegradability of nitrochlorinated (diuron and atrazine) and chlorophenoxy herbicides (2,4-D and MCPA) has been studied through several bioassays using different testing times and biomass/substrate ratios. A fast biodegradability test using unacclimated activated sludge yielded no biodegradati...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Sanchís, Sonia, Polo Díez, Alicia Marta, Tobajas Vizcaíno, Montserrat, Rodríguez Jiménez, Juan José, Fernández Mohedano, Ángel
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2014
País:España
Institución:Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
Repositorio:Biblos-e Archivo. Repositorio Institucional de la UAM
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:repositorio.uam.es:10486/711516
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10486/711516
https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11356-013-2130-y
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Biodegradability
Herbicides
Respirometry
SB-MBR
SBR
Zahn-Wellens
Ingeniería Industrial
Química
Descripción
Sumario:The biodegradability of nitrochlorinated (diuron and atrazine) and chlorophenoxy herbicides (2,4-D and MCPA) has been studied through several bioassays using different testing times and biomass/substrate ratios. A fast biodegradability test using unacclimated activated sludge yielded no biodegradation of the herbicides in 24 h. The inherent biodegradability test gave degradation percentages of around 20-30 % for the nitrochlorinated herbicides and almost complete removal of the chlorophenoxy compounds. Long-term biodegradability assays were performed using sequencing batch reactor (SBR) and sequencing batch membrane bioreactor (SB-MBR). Fixed concentrations of each herbicide below the corresponding EC50 value for activated sludge were used (30 mg L-1 for diuron and atrazine and 50 mg L-1 for 2,4-D and MCPA). No signs of herbicide degradation appeared before 35 days in the case of diuron and atrazine and 21 days for 2,4-D, whereas MCPA was partially degraded since the early stages. Around 25-36 % degradation of the nitrochlorinated herbicides and 53-77 % of the chlorophenoxy ones was achieved after 180 and 135 days, respectively, in SBR, whereas complete disappearance of 2,4-D was reached after 80 days in SB-MBR