Growth factors, kinetics and biodegradation mechanism associated with Pseudomonas nitroreducens TX1 grown on octylphenol polyethoxylates

The growth properties and biodegradation mechanism of a Gram-negative bacterium, Pseudomonas nitroreducens TX1 that was able to grow on branched octylphenol polyethoxylates (OPEO(n), average n=9.5) as the sole carbon source over a wide concentration range (1-100,000 mgl(-1)) were studied. Analysis of growth factors indicated the highest specific growth rate (micro) of 0.53 h(-1) was obtained at an initial concentration of 5,000 mgl(-1) OPEO(n). An optimal C/N ratio of 12 was obtained for (NH(4))(2)SO(4) as the nitrogen source in a cultivated medium at pH 7. The kinetic analysis demonstrated that bacterial growth and OPEO(n) degradation followed the Monod equation and were based on a substrate concentration inhibition model and pseudo-first-order reaction, respectively. The substrate inhibition coefficient was over 18,000 mgl(-1) and this indicates that the strain has an ability to sustain growth at high concentrations of OPEO(n) and use it as the sole carbon source under such a stress condition. Furthermore, LC-MS analysis showed that the biodegradation mechanism of dodecyl octaethoxylate (AEO8) by P. nitroreducens TX1 was the sequential cleavage of the ethoxylate chain.