Toxic organic chemicals in waste streams: anaerobic bioconversion to methane

Technical Report · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1985

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6127238· OSTI ID:6127238

Young, L. Y.

Sixteen substituted aromatic compounds were evaluated for their anaerobic biodegradability and toxicity to methanogenesis with two standardized anaerobic bioassays. Each compound was the only added carbon source (20 to 200 mg/L) prepared in prereduced defined medium with a 10% (v/v) inoculum of municiple digester sludge. Four types of responses were observed: (1) all concentrations of benzoate, phenol, dibutyl phthalate and low concentrations (20 mg/L) of dimethyl and diethyl phthalate, 4-nitrophenol and 2,4-dinitrophenol were degraded to CH/sub 4/ and CO/sub 2/, attaining 50-100% of the theoretical gas yield; (2) high concentrations (200 mg/L) of diethyl and dimethyl phthalate, and low concentrations of 2-nitrophenol produced methane yields between 10 to 50% of the theoretical; (3) all concentrations of bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, 2,4-dimethyl phenol, 4-chloro-m-cresol, ortho- and meta-cresol, 2-chlorophenol, intermediate concentrations (100 mg/L) of 2-nitrophenol and low concentrations of 4,6-dinitro-o-cresol yielded no more than 10% of the theoretical methane value; (4) high concentrations of 2-nitrophenol, 4-nitrophenol, 4,6-dinitro-o-cresol and 2,4-dinitrophenol exhibited a distinct suppression of methanogenesis from 10 to 90% below that of the background. Acclimation for most of the compounds took several days to weeks before degradation commenced. Thus, many of these compounds are metabolized in anoxic environments. Their fate may be significantly influenced by their concentration and residence time in such habitats. 35 refs., 33 figs., 12 tabs.

• Research Organization: New York Univ., NY (USA). Medical Center
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-84CE40657
• OSTI ID: 6127238
• Report Number(s): DOE/CE/40657-1; ON: DE86009496
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

09 BIOMASS FUELS
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
CRESOLS
ANAEROBIC DIGESTION
DETOXIFICATION
TOXICITY
METHANE
BIOSYNTHESIS
PHENOLS
PHTHALATES
ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY
ULTRAVIOLET SPECTRA
YIELDS
ALKANES
AROMATICS
BIOCONVERSION
CARBOXYLIC ACID SALTS
DIGESTION
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
MANAGEMENT
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PROCESSING
SPECTRA
SPECTROSCOPY
SYNTHESIS
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
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560302 - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Microorganisms- (-1987)
520200 - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)