Biodegradation of three selected benzotriazoles under aerobic and anaerobic conditions

We examined the biodegradability of three benzotriazoles (benzotriazole: BT, 5-methylbenzotriazole: 5-TTri and 5-chlorobenzotriazole: CBT) under aerobic and anaerobic (nitrate, sulfate, and Fe (III) reducing) conditions. All three benzotriazoles were degraded by microorganisms under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Both the biodegradation efficiency and biodegradation products were dependent on the predominant terminal electron-accepting condition. Among the redox conditions studied, the shortest biodegradation half lives for BT and 5-TTri were 114 days and 14 days, respectively, under aerobic condition. The shortest half-life for CBT was 26 days under Fe (III) reducing condition. The longest biodegradation half lives for BT and CBT were 315 days and 96 days, respectively, under sulfate reducing condition, while that of 5-TTri was 128 days under nitrate reducing condition. These results suggest that aerobic biodegradation is the dominant natural attenuation mechanism for BT and 5-TTri, while the most favorable process for CBT was anaerobic biodegradation. This study demonstrated that different predominant terminal electron-acceptors present in natural environment play a key role on the biodegradation of BT, 5-TTri and CBT, leading to specific biodegradability. This could have significant implications on in-situ biodegradation of the selected benzotriazoles in aerobic and anaerobic waters, soils and sediments.

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► Three benzotriazoles were degraded by microorganisms under aerobic and anaerobic conditions.
► The biodegradation efficiency and degradation products were dependent on the redox conditions.
► Aerobic biodegradation is the dominant natural attenuation mechanism for BT and 5-TTri.
► The most favorable process for CBT was anaerobic biodegradation.
► Different redox conditions present in natural environment leading to specific biodegradability.