• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2005.09b
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• pp.1189-1192
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• 2005

Due to their slow degradation properties, hydrophobic organic contaminants in estuarine sediment have been a concern for risks to human health and aquatic organisms. Studies of fate and transport of these contaminants in estuaries are further complicated by the fact that hydrodynamics and sediment transport processes in these regions are complex, involving processes with various temporal and spatial scales. In order to simulate and quantify long-term attenuation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) in the Elizabeth River, VA, we develop a modeling approach, which employs the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's water quality model, WASP, and encompasses key physical and chemical processes that govern long-term fate and transport of PAHs in the river. In this box-model configuration, freshwater inflows mix with ocean saline water and tidally averaged dispersion coefficients are obtained by calibration using measured salinity data. Sediment core field data is used to estimate the net deposition/erosion rate, treating only either the gross resuspension or deposition rate as the calibration parameter. Once calibrated, the model simulates fate and transport PAHs following the loading input to the river in 1967, nearly 4 decades ago. Sediment PAH concentrations are simulated over 1967-2022 and model results for Year 2002 are compared with field data measured at various locations of the river during that year. Sediment concentrations for Year 2012 and 2022 are also projected for various remedial actions. Since all the model parameters are based on empirical field data, model predictions should reflect responses based on the assumptions that have been governing the fate and sediment transport for the past decades.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.201-207
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• 2005

A phenanthrene-degrading bacterium HS362, which is capable of using phenanthrene as a sole carbon and energy source, was isolated from oil contaminated soil. This strain is a gram negative, rod shaped organism that is most closely related to Sphingomonas paucimobilis based on biochemical tests, and belongs to the genus Sphingomonas based on fatty acids analysis. It exhibited more than $99.2{\%}$ nucleotide sequence similarity of 16S rDNA to that of Sphingomonas CF06. Thus, we named this strain as Sphingomonas sp. HS362. It degraded $98{\%}$ of phenanthrene after 10 days of incubation when phenanthrene was added at 500 ppm and $30{\%}$ even when phenanthrene was added at 3000 ppm. Sphingomonas sp. HS362 could also degrade low molecular weight PAHs(Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) such as indole and naphthalene, but was unable to degrade high molecular weight PAHs such as pyrene and fluoranthene. The optimum temperature and pH for phenanthrene degradation were $30^{\circ}C$ and $4{\~}8$, respectively. Sphingomonas sp. HS362 could degrade phenanthrene effectively in the concentration range of NaCl of up to $1{\%}$. Its phenanhrene degrading ability was enhanced by preculture, suggesting the possibility of induction of phenanthrene degrading enzymes. Starch and surfactants such as SDS, Tween 85, and Triton X-100 were also able to enhance phenanthrene degradation by Sphingomonas sp. HS362. It carries five plasmids and one of them, plasmid p4, is considered to be involved in the degradation of phenanthrene according to the plasmid curing experiment by growing at $42^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.75-82
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• 2016

Pseudomonas rhodesiae KK1 has been reported to degrade polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), such as anthracene, naphthalene, and phenanthrene, which are considered major environmental contaminants. Interestingly, antioxidant genes, including superoxide dismutase, are known to be expressed at different levels in response to environmental contaminants. This study was performed to identify the superoxide dismutase gene in strain KK1, which may be indirectly involved with degradation of PAHs, as well as to investigate the expression pattern of the superoxide dismutase gene in cells grown on different PAHs. Two types of superoxide dismutase genes responsible for the antioxidant defense mechanism, Mn-superoxide dismutase (sodA) and Fe-superoxide dismutase (sodB), were identified in P. rhodesiae KK1. The sodA gene in strain KK1 shared 95% similarity, based on 141 amino acids, with the Mn-sod of P. fluorescens Pf-5. The sodB strain, based on 135 amino acids, shared 99% similarity with the Fe-sod of P. fluorescens Pf-5. Southern hybridization using the sod gene fragment as a probe showed that at least two copies of superoxide dismutase genes exist in strain KK1. RT-PCR analysis revealed that the sodA and sodB genes were more strongly expressed in response to naphthalene and phenanthrene than to anthracene. Interestingly, sodA and sodB activities were revealed to be maintained in cells grown on all of the tested substrates, including glucose.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.146-151
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• 2004

Cyclodextrin compounds including 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin(β-HPCD) though to be accelerate the biodegradation of PAHs molecule by increasing solubility of PAHs through detaining PAHs in their's cavity. However, only this mechanism is not sufficient to explain the enhancement of PAHs biodegradation by β-HPCD. To find out possible additional role of β-HPCD in the enhancement of PAHs biodegradation, biodegradation rates of pyrene and benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) by a PAHs degrading Novosphingobium pentaromtivorans US6-1 strain were compared between with and without addition of β-HPCD. Changes of bacterial biomass were also measured simultaneously. In addition catechol 1,2-dioxygenase activity was determined depending on pre-incubation conditions. As a result, β-HPCD accelerate the degradation rate of pyrene by strain US6-1 and especially the β-HPCD amendment was obligatory for the degradation of B[a]p. Bacterial biomass was responsible for β-HPCD, however, PAHs compounds such as pyrene and B[a]P did not contribute to the bacterial biomass. Catechol 1,2-dioxygenase specific activity of US6-l cells pre-cultured in MM2 medium containing l％ β-HPCD was higher than that of cells pre-cultured in ZoBell medium. The former case also showed similar activity compared to that of cells serially starved in MM2 medium after grown in ZoBell medium. These results imply that the presence of β-HPCD accelerate the degradation of PAHs by increasing the bacterial biomass as well as by increasing the water solubility of PAHs.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Tobacco Science
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 1980

Gel filtration column chromatography (Sephadex G-75), dialysis an d Brushite column chromatography were carried out to separate the brown pigmented macromolecule from water extracts of the cured leaf tobaccos. The two distinct macromolecules having different molecular weight were separated by the Sephadex column chromatography. Brushite also separated two different species of macromolecules which might have different electronic structures. According to the enzymatic degradation of protein in Burley and Hicks, chymotrypsin showed the best degradation ratio, ie., 16-30% in Burley and 38-57% in Hicks. Similar effect was observed with pepsin. However, very low effect of degradation was revealed with trypsin. The sample treated with the proteolytic enzymes revealed the disappearance of the first peak and the slight decrease of the 2nd peak height in the separation profile of Sephadex. After dialysis, the brown pigmented macromolecule was pyrolyzed at $300^{\circ}C$ and the strongly fluorescent components not identified before pyrolysis were detected with TLC separation. Absorption spectrum of these fluorescent compounds was monitored in benzene and the absorption maxima at 265nm and 275 nm were obtained. Considering absorption maxima and shape of the spectrum, those fluorescent compounds seem to be PAH derivatives.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.139-143
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• 2014

Catalytic degradation of pentachlorophenol in soil by heme and hydrogen peroxide has been hypothesized to occur through nonspecific catalytic reactions similar to those involving ligninase. The present study examines the evidence for a heme catalytic mechanism for the oxidation of organic compounds. In the presence of hydrogen peroxide, heme is converted to the ferryl heme radical (Hm-$Fe^{+4{\cdot}}$), which can oxidize organic compounds, such as 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA). A second 5-ASA may later be oxidized by ferryl heme (Hm-$Fe^{+4}$), which reverts to the ferric heme state (Hm-$Fe^{+3}$) to complete the cycle. We believe that this catalytic cycle is involved in the degradation of hazardous pollutants, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Remediation via heme catalytic reactions of PAHs in soil from a pole yard was evaluated, and about 96% of PAHs was found to disappear within 42 days after treatment with heme and hydrogen peroxide. In addition, benzo[a]pyrene and six other PAHs were undetectable among a total of 16 PAH compounds examined. Therefore, we propose heme catalysis as a novel technology for the remediation of hazardous compounds in contaminated soil.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.46-52
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• 2018

Biodegradation pathway of dibenzofuran (DBF) of Novosphingobium pentaromativorans US6-1, a high-molecular-weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons degrading strain, was investigated via analysis of metabolic intermediates and transcriptome. As a result, 3(2H)-benzofuranone, a basic skeleton of the metabolic intermediates produced by lateral dioxygenation process, was detected as an intermediate. RNA-Seq analysis confirmed that most of the expressed genes upon exposure to DBF were related to the lateral degradation pathway. Based on these results, the biodegradation pathway of DBF by N. pentaromativorans US6-1 was proposed.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.724-727
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• 2000

A Phenanthrene-degrading bacterium, Strain 1-21 was isolated from oil-contaminated soil. This strain was a Gram-negative, aerobic, and rod-shaped bacterium, and exhibited a 99% sequence similarity of 16S rDNA to that of Sphingomonas subarctica. The major cellular fatty acid was a summed feature 7(18:1 w7c, 18:1 w9t, 18:1 s12t), which is a characteristic of the Sphingomonas species. When 200 and 1,000 ppm of phenanthrene was added as the sole carbon source, Strain 1-21 degraded 98% and 67% after 10 days of incubation, respectively. Futhermore, this strain was also able to utilized naphthalene and fluorene as sole carbon and energy sources.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2006

The analysis of functional population and its dynamics on the environment is essential for understanding bioremediation in environment. Here, we report a method for oligonucleotide microarray for the monitoring of aliphatic and aromatic degradative genes. This microarray contained 15 unique and group-specific probes which were based on 100 known genes involved pathways in biodegradation. Hybridization specificity tests with pure cultures, strain Pseudomonas aeruginosa KCTC 1636 indicated that the designed probes on the arrays appeared to be specific to their corresponding target genes. It was found that the presence of 8 genes encoding alkane, naphthalene, biphenyl, pyrene (PAH ring-hydroxylating) degradation pathway could be detected in oil contaminated soil sample. Therefore, the findings of this study strongly suggest that oligonucleotide microarray is an effective diagnostic tool for evaluating biodegradation capability in oil contaminated subsurface environment.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.129-133
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• 1998

The white-rot fungi Phanerochaete chrysosporium ATCC 24725, Pleurotus ostreatus ATCC 32783, Lentinus edodes ATCC 24462, and Trametes versicolor ATCC 42530 were studied for their ability to degrade lignin, phenanthrene, and anthracene. Lignin in rice-straw was degraded by 14.4, 28.73, and 33.88% by P. chrysosporium, T. versicolor, and P. ostreatus, respectively. Approximately 12% and 83% of phenanthrene was degraded in 1 and 5 days, respectively, when the pre-grown mycelIium matrix of P. ostreatus. was incubated with 10 ppm of phenanthrene in modified Kirk's medium (nitrogen limited) at $25^{\circ}C$. Approximately 2%> and 61% of phenanthrene was degraded when the phenanthrene concentration was increased to 30 ppm. Similar trends were observed with phenanthrene using P. chrysosporium. Mycelial growth of T. versicolor was less inhibited at 30 ppm phenanthrene than for P. ostreatus and P. chrysosporium. Better degradation of phenanthrene by T. versicolor may be attributed to better mycelium growth. One hundred percent of 15 ppm anthracene was degraded in 10 days by both P. chrysosporium and T. versicolor. 40 ppm anthracene inhibited the mycelial growth of P. chrysosporium. lignin peroxidase activity, which was previously reported to be involved in initial phenanthrene oxidation, was also detected from the culture broth of the strains tested. The rates of lignin peroxidase production in the cultures were not consistent with the rate of PAH hydrolysis during incubation.