Pristine environments degradation

Degradation of contaminants may occur with bacteria that have been isolated from pristine environments without established exposure to the contaminants, and exhibit no dependence on substrate concentration. For example, organisms from a previously unexposed forest soil were able to degrade 2,4,6-trichlorophenol at concentrations up to 5000 ppm, and terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis revealed that at concentrations up to 500 ppm, the bacterial community was unaltered (Sanchez et al. 2004). 

Kamagata Y, RR Fulthorpe, K Tamura, H Takami, LJ Forney, JM Tiedje (1997) Pristine environments harbor a new group of oligotrophic 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid-degrading bacteria. Appl Environ Microbiol 63 2266-2272. 

Kitagawa W, S Takami, K Miyauchi, E Masai, Y Kamagata, JM Tiedje, M Fukuda (2002) Novel 2,4-dichlo-rophenoxyacetic acid degradation genes from oligotrophic Bradyrhizobium sp. strain HW 13 isolated from a pristine environment. J Bacterial 184 509-518. 

In addition to OH radicals, unsaturated bonds are reactive towards O3 and NO3 radicals and reaction with these species is an important atmospheric degradation mechanism for unsaturated compounds. Table 4 lists rate constants for the reactions of 03 and NO3 radicals with selected alkenes and acetylene. To place such rate constants into perspective we need to consider the typical ambient atmospheric concentrations of O3 and NO3 radicals. Typical ozone concentrations in pristine environments are 20-40 ppb while concentrations in the range 100-200 ppb are experienced in polluted air. The ambient concentration of NO3 is limited by the availability of NO sources. In remote marine environments the NO levels are extremely low (a few ppt) and NO3 radicals do not play an important role in atmospheric chemistry. In continental and urban areas the NO levels are much higher (up to several hundred ppb in polluted urban areas) and NO3 radicals can build up to 5-100 ppt at night (N03 radicals are photolyzed rapidly and are not present in appreciable amounts during the day). For the purposes of the present discussion we have calculated the atmospheric lifetimes of selected unsaturated compounds in Table 4 in the presence of 100 ppb (2.5 x 1012 cm 3) of O3 and 10 ppt (2.5 x 108 cnr3) of NO3. Lifetimes in other environments can be evaluated by appropriate scaling of the data in Table 4. As seen from Table 4, the more reactive unsaturated compounds have lifetimes with respect to reaction with O3 and NO3 radicals of only a few minutes ... 

Environmental degradation has a starting point. One can present the process in pyramid form where the base of the pyramid represents a pristine environment (Fig. 1). Humans enter the scene and begin to transform nature to meet their needs. 

Heitkamp MA, CE Cerniglia (1989) Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon degradation by a Mycobacterium sp. in microcosms containing sediment and water from a pristine ecosystem. Appl Environ Microbiol 55 1968-1973. 

In order to study simultaneously the behaviour of parent priority surfactants and their degradation products, it is essential to have accurate and sensitive analytical methods that enable the determination of the low concentrations generally occurring in the aquatic environment. As a result of an exhaustive review of the analytical methods used for the quantification within the framework of the three-year research project Priority surfactants and their toxic metabolites in wastewater effluents An integrated study (PRISTINE), it is concluded that the most appropriate procedure for this purpose is high-performance (HP) LC in reversed phase (RP), associated with preliminary techniques of concentration and purification by solid phase extraction (SPE). However, the complex mixtures of metabolites and a lack of reference standards currently limit the applicability of HPLC with UV- or fluorescence (FL-) detection methods. 

The PRISTINE project, and thus the content of the present book, provides policy makers and industry with detailed information on analysis and concentrations of surfactants and their degradation products in the environment. Furthermore, the book provides relevant information to all groups working in the field of surfactants in environmental laboratories, environmental agencies, the surfactant industry, water industry and sewage treatment facilities. 

The utility of classical antioxidants such as hindered amines, phenols, and nitrones for the stabilization of pristine polyacetylene (29), poly(methyl acetylene) (30), and poly(l,6-heptadiyne) (31) has been examined. Poly(methyl acetylene), although dopable to only low conductivities (10" S/cm), has similar oxidative behavior to polyacetylene and serves as a good model for other polyenes. In general, the improvement in stability of poly(methyl acetylene) was limited, but combinations of hindered phenols and hydroperoxide scavengers resulted in a factor of 5 decrease in the oxidation rate (30) as monitored by the appearance of IR absorption bands attributable to carbonyl groups. These degradation rates are still too high for the use of these polyenes in an unprotected environment. The compatibility of such stabilizers with the dopants commonly used for polyacetylene was not studied. 

Margesin R, Lahhe D, Schinner F, Greer CW, Whyte LG. 2003. Characterization of hydrocarhon-degrading microbial populations in contaminated and pristine alpine soils. Appl Environ Microbiol 69 3085-3092. 

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