Investigation of the biodegradation process of a synthetic lubricant base stock

Hund, Kerstin; Grolms, U.; Bunemann, Thomas F.

doi:10.1016/0045-6535(94)90233-x

Cited by 12 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…Aeroshell 500 consist entirely of high molecular weight (HMW) compounds (>388 amu) and will not evaporate unless heated. Photodegradation is not expected because PETs do not absorb radiation in the UV and VIS region, but laboratory experiments have shown that synthetic tri- and tetraester-based lubricants are biodegradable at ∼20 °C − . These studies concur in indicating that in the presence of carboxyl esterase, Pentaerythritol esters will release easily degradable fatty acids and pentaerythritol, a C 5 compound with a quaternary carbon and four hydroxyl groups, which is water-soluble but probably poorly biodegradable .…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 94%

Composition and Biodegradation of a Synthetic Oil Spilled on the Perennial Ice Cover of Lake Fryxell, Antarctica

Jaraula

Kenig

Doran

et al. 2009

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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A helicopter crashed in January 2003 on the 5 m-thick perennial ice cover of Lake Fryxell, spilling synthetic turbine oil Aeroshell 500. Molecular compositions of the oils were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and compared to the composition of contaminants in ice, meltwater, and sediments collected a year after the accident. Aeroshell 500 is based on C20-C33 Pentaerythritol triesters (PET) with C5-C10 fatty acids susbstituents and contain a number of antioxidant additives, such as tricresyl phosphates. Biodegradation of this oil in the ice cover occurs when sediments are present PETs with short fatty acids substituents are preferentially degraded, whereas long chain fatty acids seem to hinder esters from hydrolysis by esterase derived from the microbial assemblage. It remains to be seen if the microbial ecosystem can degrade tricresyl phosphates. These more recalcitrant PET species and tricresyl phosphates are likely to persist and comprise the contaminants that may eventually cross the ice cover to reach the pristine lake water.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 94%

Composition and Biodegradation of a Synthetic Oil Spilled on the Perennial Ice Cover of Lake Fryxell, Antarctica

Jaraula

Kenig

Doran

et al. 2009

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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“…The alkanoate esters of 1,1,1-TMP were the most exten-B.A.W. Thompson et al [18][19][20][21]. These bacteria are unable to oxidize the tertiary alcohol (1,1,1-TMP) or to use it as a carbon source; hence, 1,1,1-TMP is found to accumulate.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They are not major constituents of the lubricants, however, and their degradation did not have a profound effect on the volume of lubricant that is lost. Several species of oil‐degrading bacteria (e.g., Acinetobacter lwoffi and Micrococcus roseus ) are capable of rapidly degrading alkanoate esters (octanoate and decanoate) of 1,1,1‐TMP [18–21]. These bacteria are unable to oxidize the tertiary alcohol (1,1,1‐TMP) or to use it as a carbon source; hence, 1,1,1‐TMP is found to accumulate.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Degradation of synthetic lubricants has been studied only under controlled laboratory conditions (e.g., Commission of European Community L-33-T-82 biodegradability test, Brussels, Belgium) and on experimental soil plots [13,[17][18][19][20][21]. Laboratory tests sometimes over-or underestimate the natural rates, presumably because these tests do not accurately mimic natural conditions (e.g., temperature, currents, nutrients).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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In situ lubricant degradation in Antarctic marine sediments. 1. Short‐term changes

Thompson

Davies

Goldsworthy

et al. 2006

Enviro Toxic and Chemistry

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A large-scale, in situ experiment was set up near the Bailey Peninsula area (Casey Station, East Antarctica) to monitor the natural attenuation of synthetic lubricants in marine sediments over five years. Here, we report the short-term changes after 5 and 56 weeks. The lubricants tested were an unused and used Mobil lubricant (0W/40; Exxon Mobil, Irving, TX, USA) and a biodegradable alternative (0W/20; Fuchs Lubricants, Harvey, IL, USA). Clean sediment was collected, contaminated with the lubricants, and deployed by divers onto the seabed in a randomized block design. The sampled sediments were analyzed by gas chromatography-flame-ionization detector and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with selective ion monitoring. The base fluid of all lubricant treatments did not decrease significantly after 56 weeks in situ. Alkanoate esters of 1,1,1-tris(hydroxymethyl)propane in the biodegradable and unused lubricants were degraded extensively in situ; however, these esters constituted only a minor proportion of the lubricant volume. The additives, alkylated naphthalenes and substituted diphenylamines, were fairly resistant to degradation, which is of environmental concern because of their toxicity. The biodegradable lubricant did not break down to recognized biodegradable thresholds and, as such, should not be classified as biodegradable under Antarctic marine conditions. A separate experiment was conducted to determine the influence of sediment preparation and deployment on compound ratios within the lubricants, and we found that preparation and deployment of the contaminated sediments had only a minor effect on compound recovery. Further monitoring of this in situ experiment will provide much needed information about the long-term natural attenuation of lubricants.

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“…Their ester bonds can be hydrolyzed by extracellular lipases [16,17] and the oleic acid released from TMPO can be assimilated by many microbial species. However, the alcoholic component Tris(hydroxymethyl)‐1,1,1‐propane (TMP) seems to be persistent [16–18].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interactions between bacterial populations during degradation of a lubricant base oil

Sonderkamp

Vomberg

Schmitz

et al. 2001

FEMS Microbiology Ecology

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The composition of microbial communities degrading trimethylolpropaneoleate, a synthetic fatty acid ester, was studied under conditions similar to a frequently used degradation test. A combination of conventional phenotypic tests and molecular biological methods, internal rRNA gene spacer amplification and randomly amplified DNA assay, was used for strain monitoring. Few bacterial species were selected from the large diversity of the inocula during degradation in the batch cultures. Growth depended on activity of extracellular lipases in the bacterial community. However, the enzyme producers made up only a minority. The dominating bacteria were not able to hydrolyze the synthetic ester in pure culture.

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Investigation of the biodegradation process of a synthetic lubricant base stock

Cited by 12 publications

References 3 publications

Composition and Biodegradation of a Synthetic Oil Spilled on the Perennial Ice Cover of Lake Fryxell, Antarctica

Composition and Biodegradation of a Synthetic Oil Spilled on the Perennial Ice Cover of Lake Fryxell, Antarctica

In situ lubricant degradation in Antarctic marine sediments. 1. Short‐term changes

Interactions between bacterial populations during degradation of a lubricant base oil

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