Degradation of Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid by Microbial Populations from an Aerated Lagoon

Belly, R. T.; Lauff, John J.; Goodhue, C. T.

doi:10.1128/aem.29.6.787-794.1975

“…Several reports have already described biologically mediated EDTA degradation under laboratory conditions. The first report [143] demonstrated decomposition of EDTA by microbial populations from an aerated lagoon receiving EDTA‐containing industrial effluents. The authors followed [ 14 C]CO 2 formation from the iron(III) complex of radioactively labelled EDTA when incubated in the dark to prevent photodegradation.…”

Section: Microbial Degradation Of Apcas During Wastewater Treatment mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It was suggested that in the presence of glycerol, the Agrobacterium strain utilised EDTA merely as nitrogen source and no longer as carbon and energy source. Other APCAs were tested for growth of the Agrobacterium strain, but only Fe(III)PDTA was degraded and no growth was observed with NTA, IDA or EDDA, although the latter compounds are supposed to be intermediates in the breakdown of EDTA [143,193]. Furthermore, the strain was able to utilise a wide range of sugars, carboxylic acids and amino acids as growth substrates.…”

Section: Degradation Of Apcas By Pure Microbial Culturesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Based on products excreted by a mixed microbial culture during EDTA degradation, Belly and co‐workers [143] proposed two possible pathways for the microbial breakdown of EDTA, i.e. either the successive removal of acetyl groups from EDTA or the cleavage of a C–N bond within the ethylenediamine part of the molecule.…”

Section: Biochemistry and Genetics Of Apca Degradationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Environmental fate and microbial degradation of aminopolycarboxylic acids

Bucheli‐Witschel

¹

,

Egli

²

2001

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Aminopolycarboxylic acids (APCAs) have the ability to form stable, water-soluble complexes with di- and trivalent metal ions. For that reason, synthetic APCAs are used in a broad range of domestic products and industrial applications to control solubility and precipitation of metal ions. Because most of these applications are water-based, APCAs are disposed of in wastewater and reach thus sewage treatment plants and the environment, where they undergo abiotic and/or biotic degradation processes. Recently, also natural APCAs have been described which are produced by plants or micro-organisms and are involved in the metal uptake by these organisms. For the two most widely used APCAs, nitrilotriacetate (NTA) and ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA), transformation and mineralisation processes have been studied rather well, while for other xenobiotic APCAs and for the naturally occurring APCAs little is known on their fate in the environment. Whereas NTA is mainly degraded by bacteria under both oxic and anoxic conditions, biodegradation is apparently of minor importance for the environmental fate of EDTA. Photodegradation of iron(III)-complexed EDTA is supposed to be mostly responsible for its elimination. Isolation of a number of NTA- and EDTA-utilising bacterial strains has been reported and the spectrum of APCAs utilised by the different isolates indicates that some of them are able to utilise a range of different APCAs whereas others seem to be restricted to one compound. The two best characterised obligately aerobic NTA-utilising genera (Chelatobacter and Chelatococcus) are members of the alpha-subgroup of Proteobacteria. There is good evidence that they are present in fairly high numbers in surface waters, soils and sewage treatment plants. The key enzymes involved in NTA degradation in Chelatobacter and Chelatococcus have been isolated and characterised. The two first catabolic steps are catalysed by a monooxygenase (NTA MO) and a membrane-bound iminodiacetate dehydrogenase. NTA MO has been cloned and sequenced and its regulation as a function of growth conditions has been studied. Under denitrifying conditions, NTA catabolism is catalysed by a NTA dehydrogenase. EDTA breakdown was found to be initiated by a MO also which shares many characteristics with NTA MO from strictly aerobic NTA-degrading bacteria. In contrast, degradation of [S,S]-ethylenediaminedisuccinate ([S,S]-EDDS), a structural isomer of EDTA, was shown to be catalysed by an EDDS lyase in both an EDTA degrader and in a NTA-utilising Chelatococcus strain. So far, transport of APCAs into cells has only been studied for EDTA and the results obtained give strong evidence for an energy-dependent carrier system and Ca(2+) seems to be co-transported with EDTA. Due to their metal-complexing capacities, APCAs occur in the environment mostly in the metal-complexed form. Hence, the influence of metal speciation on various degradation processes is of utmost importance to understand the environmental behaviour of these compounds. In case of biodegradation, th...

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“…Several reports have already described biologically mediated EDTA degradation under laboratory conditions. The ¢rst report [143] demonstrated decomposition of EDTA by microbial populations from an aerated lagoon receiving EDTA-containing industrial e¥uents. The authors followed [ 14 C]CO 2 formation from the iron(III) complex of radioactively labelled EDTA when incubated in the dark to prevent photodegradation.…”

Section: During Wastewater Treatment and In Laboratory Testmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It was suggested that in the presence of glycerol, the Agrobacterium strain utilised EDTA merely as nitrogen source and no longer as carbon and energy source. Other APCAs were tested for growth of the Agrobacterium strain, but only Fe(III)PDTA was degraded and no growth was observed with NTA, IDA or EDDA, although the latter compounds are supposed to be intermediates in the breakdown of EDTA [143,193]. Furthermore, the strain was able to utilise a wide range of sugars, carboxylic acids and amino acids as growth substrates.…”

Section: Pure Cultures Utilising Edtamentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental fate and microbial degradation of aminopolycarboxylic acids

Bucheli-Witschel¹

2001

FEMS Microbiology Reviews

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Aminopolycarboxylic acids (APCAs) have the ability to form stable, water-soluble complexes with di- and trivalent metal ions. For that reason, synthetic APCAs are used in a broad range of domestic products and industrial applications to control solubility and precipitation of metal ions. Because most of these applications are water-based, APCAs are disposed of in wastewater and reach thus sewage treatment plants and the environment, where they undergo abiotic and/or biotic degradation processes. Recently, also natural APCAs have been described which are produced by plants or micro-organisms and are involved in the metal uptake by these organisms. For the two most widely used APCAs, nitrilotriacetate (NTA) and ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA), transformation and mineralisation processes have been studied rather well, while for other xenobiotic APCAs and for the naturally occurring APCAs little is known on their fate in the environment. Whereas NTA is mainly degraded by bacteria under both oxic and anoxic conditions, biodegradation is apparently of minor importance for the environmental fate of EDTA. Photodegradation of iron(III)-complexed EDTA is supposed to be mostly responsible for its elimination. Isolation of a number of NTA- and EDTA-utilising bacterial strains has been reported and the spectrum of APCAs utilised by the different isolates indicates that some of them are able to utilise a range of different APCAs whereas others seem to be restricted to one compound. The two best characterised obligately aerobic NTA-utilising genera (Chelatobacter and Chelatococcus) are members of the alpha-subgroup of Proteobacteria. There is good evidence that they are present in fairly high numbers in surface waters, soils and sewage treatment plants. The key enzymes involved in NTA degradation in Chelatobacter and Chelatococcus have been isolated and characterised. The two first catabolic steps are catalysed by a monooxygenase (NTA MO) and a membrane-bound iminodiacetate dehydrogenase. NTA MO has been cloned and sequenced and its regulation as a function of growth conditions has been studied. Under denitrifying conditions, NTA catabolism is catalysed by a NTA dehydrogenase. EDTA breakdown was found to be initiated by a MO also which shares many characteristics with NTA MO from strictly aerobic NTA-degrading bacteria. In contrast, degradation of [S,S]-ethylenediaminedisuccinate ([S,S]-EDDS), a structural isomer of EDTA, was shown to be catalysed by an EDDS lyase in both an EDTA degrader and in a NTA-utilising Chelatococcus strain. So far, transport of APCAs into cells has only been studied for EDTA and the results obtained give strong evidence for an energy-dependent carrier system and Ca(2+) seems to be co-transported with EDTA. Due to their metal-complexing capacities, APCAs occur in the environment mostly in the metal-complexed form. Hence, the influence of metal speciation on various degradation processes is of utmost importance to understand the environmental behaviour of these compounds. In case of biodegradation, th...

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Identification of the Complete Photodegradation Pathway of Ethylenediaminetetra(methylenephosphonic acid) in Aqueous Solution

Kuhn

¹

,

Tóth

²

,

Geppert

³

et al. 2017

CLEAN Soil Air Water

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This study aims at investigating the abiotic degradation pathway of ethylenediaminetetra(methylenephosphonic acid) (EDTMP) simulated applying UV irradiation. The degradation of EDTMP and formation of degradation products was determined using LC‐MS and 31P‐NMR. In the laboratory scale experiments, EDTMP was degraded within 30 min and the degradation products, iminodi(methylenephosphonic acid) (IDMP), ethylaminobis(methylenephosphonic acid) (EABMP), and amino(methylenephosphonic acid) (AMPA), were simultaneously released. IDMP was the main degradation product of EDTMP. Therefore, we conclude that the initial cleavage of EDTMP is a heterolytically driven process, which starts the degradation process at the intramolecular CN bond. In contrast, the main product of a possible homolytic CC cleavage of methylaminobis(methylenephosphonic acid) could not be confirmed with either LC‐MS or 31P‐NMR. Additionally, there was no evidence for a primary attack on the CP bond. All identified degradation products of EDTMP have been mineralized to carbon dioxide (CO2). Three additional degradation products (M1, M2, and M3) have been found using the 31P‐NMR analysis but have not yet been quantified using LC‐MS. We assume that the unidentified degradation product M1 is related to m/z 312, M2 to m/z 341, and M3 to m/z 409. Thus we concluded that EDTMP undergoes photochemical conversion to IDMP, the main degradation product. EABMP and AMPA also accumulate, but in smaller amounts. All intermediates are further mineralized to CO2.

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Degradation of Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid by Microbial Populations from an Aerated Lagoon

Cited by 56 publications

References 15 publications

Environmental fate and microbial degradation of aminopolycarboxylic acids

Environmental fate and microbial degradation of aminopolycarboxylic acids

Environmental fate and microbial degradation of aminopolycarboxylic acids

Identification of the Complete Photodegradation Pathway of Ethylenediaminetetra(methylenephosphonic acid) in Aqueous Solution

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