کد مقاله | کد نشریه | سال انتشار | مقاله انگلیسی | نسخه تمام متن |
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4365315 | 1301753 | 2011 | 7 صفحه PDF | دانلود رایگان |
Surfactant-mediated treatment increases hydrocarbon solubilization and potentially facilitates biodegradation, unless toxic co-contaminants inhibiting microbial activity are present in the hydrocarbon mixture. We assessed the effect of rhamnolipids on the performance of a bacterial consortium degrading diesel fuel employed as a model hydrocarbon-rich effluent, co-contaminated with toxic phenol, 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) or 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP). This approach led to the unexpected finding that rhamnolipids reduced toxicity of 4-CP and 2,4-DCP to the hydrocarbon-degrading cells. The facts that rhamnolipids decreased diesel fuel – water partition coefficient (KFW) of 4-CP and 2,4-DCP and modified aggregate size distribution profiles of the dispersed diesel fuel – chlorinated phenols solutions, suggest the existence of specific interactions between rhamnolipids and the co-contaminants. Due to the polar nature of 4-CP and 2,4-DCP, possible explanations involve adsorption of 4-CP and 2,4-DCP on the surface of biosurfactant aggregates. This property of rhamnolipids is of interest to those using biosurfactants for microbial treatment of hydrocarbon-rich wastewaters co-contaminated with toxic compounds.
Journal: International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation - Volume 65, Issue 4, July 2011, Pages 605–611