Bioremediation of MEG, DEG, and TEG: Potential of Burhead Plant and Soil Microorganisms

Authors: Pattrarat Teamkao, Paitip Thiravetyan

Abstract:

The aim of this work was to investigate the potential of soil microorganisms and the burhead plant, as well as the combination of soil microorganisms and plants to remediate monoethylene glycol (MEG), diethylene glycol (DEG), and triethylene glycol (TEG) in synthetic wastewater. The result showed that a system containing both burhead plant and soil microorganisms had the highest efficiency in EGs removal. Around 100% of MEG and DEG and 85% of TEG were removed within 15 days of the experiments. However, the burhead plant had higher removal efficiency than soil microorganisms for MEG and DEG but the same for TEG in the study systems. The removal rate of EGs in the study system related to the molecular weight of the compounds and MEG, the smallest glycol, was removed faster than DEG and TEG by both the burhead plant and soil microorganisms in the study system.

Keywords: Ethylene glycol, burhead plant, soil microorganisms, phytoremediation

Digital Object Identifier (DOI): doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1327644

References:

[1] R. Dye, "Ethylene glycols technology," Korean J. Chem. Eng., vol. 18, no. 5 pp. 571-579, 2001.
[2] B. Ballantyne and W.M. Snellings, "Developmental toxicity study with diethylene glycol dosed by gavage to CD rats and CD-1 mice," Food Chem. Toxicol., vol. 43, no. 11, pp. 1637-1646, 2005.
[3] R. A. Corley, S. A. Saghir, M. J. Bartels, S. C. Hansen, J. Creim, K. E. McMartin and W. M. Snellings, "Extension of a PBPK model for ethylene glycol and glycolic acid to include the competitive formation and clearance of metabolites associated with humans," Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol., vol. 250, no. 3, pp. 229-244, 2011.
[4] Center for the Evaluation of Risk to Human Reproduction, "NTPCERHR Expert Panel report on the reproductive and developmental toxicity of ethylene glycol." Reprod. Toxicol., vol. 18. no. 4, pp. 457-532, 2004.
[5] J. L. Bankston, D. L. Sola, A. T. Komor, and D. F. Dwyer, "Degradation of trichloroethylene in wetland microcosms containing broad-leaved cattail and eastern cottonwood," Water Res., vol. 36, no. 6, pp. 1539- 1546, 2002.
[6] K. E. Gerhardt, X. D. Huang, B. R. Glick and B. M. Greenberg, "Phytoremediation and rhizoremediation of organic soil contaminants: Potential and challenges," Plant Sci., vol. 176, no. 1, pp. 20-30, 2009.
[7] P. Teamkao and P. Thiravetyan, "Phytoremediation of ethylene glycol and its derivatives by the burhead plant (Echinodorus cordifolius (L.)): Effect of molecular size." Chemosphere, vol. 81, no. 9, pp. 1069-1074,2010.
[8] APHA, “Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater,” 20thed., American Public Health Association / American Water Works Association / Water Environment Federation, Washington DC, USA, 1998.
[9] J. Kozdrója and J.D. van Elsas, “Response of the bacterial community to root exudates in soil polluted with heavy metals assessed by molecular and cultural approaches,” Soil Biol. Biochem., vol. 32, no. 10, pp. 1405- 1417. 2000.
[10] L. A. Phillips, C. W. Greer, R. E. Farrell and J. J. Germida, “Plant root exudates impact the hydrocarbon degradation potential of a weatheredhydrocarbon contaminated soil,” Appl. Soil Ecol., vol. 52, pp. 56-64, 2012.
[11] A. Zaidi, M.S. Khan and M. Amil, “Interactive effect of rhizotrophic microorganisms on yield and nutrient uptake of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.),” Eur. J. Agron., vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 15-21. 2003.
[12] L.D.L. Jenkins, C. Maslen and R.B. Cain, “An active-transport mechanism for the uptake of ethylene glycol and its low-molecularweight oligomers by Pseudomonas fluorescens,” 604th Meeting, Cambridge, vol. 11, pp. 739.
[13] B. Schink and M. Stieb, “Fermentative degradation of polyethylene glycol by strictly anaerobic, gram-negative, nonsporeforming bacterium, Pelobacter venetianus sp. nov.,” Appl. Environ. Microbiol., vol. 45, no. 6, pp. 1905-1913, 1983.
[14] R. Calvet, “Adsorption of organic chemicals in soils,” Environ. Health Perspect., vol. 83, pp. 145-177, 1989.
[15] D.F. Dwyer, “Anaerobic biodegradation of ether compounds by ether bond-cleaving bacteria and methanogenic consortia,” Michigan State University, Ph.D. thesis, 1989.
[16] O. Mrklas, A. Chu, S. Lunn and L. R. Bentley, “Biodegradation of monoethanolamine, ethylene glycol and triethylene glycol in laboratory bioreactors,” Water Air Soil Pollut., vol. 159, no. 1, pp. 249-263, 2004.
[17] A. Mohseni-Bandpi, D.J. Elliott and A. Momeny-Mazdeh, “Denitrification of ground water using acetic acid as a carbon source,” Water Sci. Technol., vol. 40, no. 2, pp. 53-59, 1999.
[18] C. Turner, M.E. Gregory and N.F. Thornhill, “Closed-loop control of fed-batch cultures of recombinant Escherichia coli using on-line HPLC,” Biotechnol. Bioeng., vol. 44, no. 7, pp. 819-829, 1994.