In the present study, a phenol degrading actinomycetes strain was isolated from paper pulp wastewater. The isolated strain was identified as Rhodococcus pyridinivorans PDB9TN-1 using 16S rRNA gene sequencing technique, which yielded the complete degradation of 1600 mg l−1 of phenol within 56 h. Moreover, the Rhodococcus species could remove over 97.5% of total organic carbon (TOC) at an initial phenol

4-chloro-2-nitrophenol (4C2NP) is a typical chlorinated nitroaromatic pollutant and its environmental fate is of great concern due to its mutagenic and carcinogenic properties. So far, neither genes nor enzymes responsible for 4C2NP biodegradation have been elucidated. Here, a new 4C2NP degrader NyZ417 was isolated from the activated sludge collected from a wastewater treatment plant of China and identified

Among the various types of industry-generated effluents, those containing phenolic compounds are serious recalcitrant. There is therefore a need to develop new technologies that emphasize the depletion of these pollutants from the environment, and that work as a viable alternative to traditional physical and chemical remediation methods. Filamentous fungi are capable of producing a great number of

Brown rot fungi utilize iron as part of a chelator-mediated Fenton (CMF) reaction during wood biodegradation. Research suggests these fungi reduce Fe3+ to promote oxygen radical generation resulting in depolymerization of the wood cell wall. High levels of Mn are also found in wood decayed by brown rot fungi. However, little is known about the oxidation states of Fe and Mn during the decay process

Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 is a bacterium that reduces ferric iron [Fe(III)] for respiration. The degradations of the persistent organic pollutants BDE-3 and BDE-209 by the S. oneidensis MR-1-mediated Fenton reaction with three Fe(III) sources were systematically compared in this investigation. Under the condition tested, neither BDE-3 nor BDE-209 negatively impacted the bacterial growth or the bacterial

Culture-independent metagenomic analysis was used to characterize the population changes undergone by a soil bacterial community after exposure to hydrocarbon fuel. Upon exposure, the soil community changed from a diverse community dominated by unclassified bacteria to a more homogeneous population of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria dominated by Achromobacter, Azospirillum and Pseudomonas species. Attempts

An extensive aeromycological survey was performed in the premises of a cultural heritage conservation facility to estimate fungal propagule concentrations in both indoor and outdoor air and seasonal dynamics with regard to temperature and air humidity. The highest average propagule concentration in indoor air was documented in spring, and for outdoor air, in summer. Increased propagule loads were documented

The microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) of zinc and galvanized steel caused by a sulfate reducing bacterium (SRB) was investigated. After 7 days of incubation of Desulfovibrio vulgaris in 125 mL anaerobic vials (100 mL culture medium) at 37 °C, the sessile cell coverage on the galvanized steel was slightly higher than that on pure zinc: (1.9 ± 0.2) × 109 cells/cm2 vs. (9.0 ± 1.8) × 108 cells/cm2

Oil and fuel spills occur regularly in terrestrial and aquatic environments and substances such as crude oil can contain many compounds that are highly resistant to degradation. Among these constituents are alkanes and monoaromatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are not only toxic but also carcinogenic and/or mutagenic. Provided there are sufficient nutrient levels and proper growth

In this research, a solid-phase denitrification reactor (SPDR) packed with corrugated paperboard was introduced into the recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) of Litopenaeus vannamei for nitrate removal. Results showed that 82.88% of the nitrogen was removed from the culture water with the denitrification rate of 0.74 mg L−1·d−1 and the concentration of nitrate was controlled at 2.31 ± 1.00 mg L−1

Chlorhexidine (CHX) mouthwash is widely used clinically to remove the established Streptococcus mutans biofilm and prevent caries. However, the long-term use with high concentration of CHX leads to the staining of tooth and mucous membrane. In this study, d-leucine (d-leu) was used as an antimicrobial enhancer for CHX against mature S. mutans biofilm. The biocidal efficacy was evaluated by means of

High arsenic (As) groundwaters are generally associated with high concentration of ammonium in Pleistocene-Holocene aquifers. Ammonia/ammonium-oxidizing microorganisms (AOM) play an important role in the nitrogen cycle. To investigate AOM distribution and their diversity in the high As aquifers, 12 samples from deep wells (80–120 m below surface level) and another 12 samples from shallow wells (15–30 m)

Acetamiprid is a neonicotinoid insecticide used worldwide that has caused environmental pollution and adverse effects on ecosystems. Here, a novel bacterium, Pseudaminobacter salicylatoxidans CGMCC 1.17248, was isolated to rapidly degrade acetamiprid to IM-1-2 via hydration. Gene cloning and overexpression demonstrated that two nitrile hydratases, AnhA and AnhB, converted acetamiprid to IM-1-2. Escherichia

Preservation of environmental samples is an important step in maintaining the original microbial community until the nucleic acid extraction in the laboratory. Here, we collected activated sludge samples to both immediately extract nucleic acids (control) and submit to different storage/preservation methods for 48 h before nucleic acids extraction: room temperature storage, storage on ice, direct storage

Decolorization and removal of contaminants in textile wastewater are essential for pollution control. This study investigated the potential application of a halophilic and halotolerant Shewanella indica (S. indica) strain as immobilized biofilm in two attached growth bioreactors with moving bed bioreactor carrier and polyurethane porous gel carrier, respectively. Under optimized operation conditions

One of the most challenging aspects of using wood chips as renewable energy source is the loss of biomass related to storage. Therefore, we installed three outdoor industrial-scale piles (250 m³) of poplar wood chips and monitored the bacterial and fungal communities by next-generation sequencing over a storage period of 120 d. Two of the three piles were supplemented with calcium dihydroxide (Ca(OH)2)

Biological damage due to material characteristics and climatic change poses serious threats to wooden cultural heritage objects in Korea. This study is a preliminary survey for the preparation of a conservation/management plan for Janggyeongpanjeon (depositories of the Tripitaka Koreana Woodblocks), which is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site, and Daejanggyeongpan (Printing woodblcoks of the Tripitaka

The ability of bacteria and fungi to degrade polymeric substrates is often assessed in liquid-based assays conducted by exposing polymers to planktonic cells, or cell-free supernatants or enzymes generated from them. These assessments miss the opportunity to specifically examine the role of biofilm formation and physiology in degradative processes. In a previous study, we examined the ability of cell-free

The aim of this study was to characterise the microbial and metabolite diversity in samples of biodeteriorated 18th century silk from the burial crypts of the Church of St Francis of Assisi in Kraków (Poland). Highthroughput Illumina sequencing, surface-assisted laser desorption/ionisation mass spectrometry on a silver nanoparticle enhanced target (109Ag SALDI), and laser ablation-remote-electrospray

Anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) and nitrite-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation (n-damo) processes are two newly discovered biochemical pathways for removal of reactive nitrogen species and methane. An investigation was initiated to investigate the simultaneous removal of ammonium and methane and the corresponding microorganisms in a full-scale sewage treatment plant and four landfill leachate

Previous studies have provided evidence that chemical biocides can condition the behaviour of microbial populations, thereby promoting recolonization by some groups of microorganisms. We conducted a year-long study to evaluate the extent to which fungal and bacterial communities are affected by the biocidal treatments Biotin R®, Biotin T®, Preventol RI80®, New Des 50®, benzalkonium chloride and an

Shipworms (Bivalvia: Teredinidae) are considered one of the main agents of wood bioerosion in the marine environment. They dig tunnels inside the wood they feed on, causing its progressive weakening. X-rays are a widely used non-destructive technique to assess wood biodeterioration (e.g. EN 275). However, an X-ray is a two-dimensional projection, with the possibility that some of the objects overlap

Dolomitic limestones are carbonate rocks with an inherent high intrinsic bioreceptivity, being especially prone to microbial colonization. Nonetheless, fungal dolomitic limestone bioreceptivity and biodeterioration still remains scarcely characterized. As such, the aims of this work were to: evaluate the biodeteriorative abilities of previously isolated fungi thriving at the Old Cathedral of Coimbra;

The History of Humanity can be traced by our Cultural Heritage. However, we are not the only ones who can appreciate our tangible legacies. Biodeterioration is well recognized in the field of cultural heritage conservation. Over the last few decades, it has been the object of both modest and ambitious studies, some aiming to identify one single agent, others trying to understand entire communities

Biofouling significantly reduces the performance efficiency of membrane bioreactors due to the colonization and accumulation of a matrix of microorganisms. In order to investigate the effect of ultrasonic frequency on biofilm formation and bacterial ecology at different frequencies, four microfiltration membrane modules were subjected at 0, 20, 30 and 40 kHz in pilot-scales. The results of massive

The enantioselective catabolism of the two enantiomers of the aryloxyphenoxypropionate (AOPP) herbicide, quizalofop-ethyl (QE), in environment by microorganisms is of great interest. In this study, Sphingobium sp. strain QE-1, capable of transforming both enantiomers of QE, was successfully isolated. A novel gene qeH, encoding an esterase capable of initially transforming (R)/(S)-QE to (R)/(S)-quizalofop

5-chloro-2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one (CMIT)/2-methyl-4-methyl-isothiazolin-3-one (MIT) biocides or preservation agents are chemically stabilized with MgCl2, Mg(NO3)2 or CuSO4. The role of these stabilization agents in cell inactivation was investigated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa MDC isolated from a water-based paint tank biofilm. 10 ppm/active ingredient (ai) of CMIT/MIT commercial formulation or

The research objective of this study was to verify the effectiveness of selected rhizosphere strains in accelerating the biodegradation of plastics in cultivated soil. The study was a continuation of experiments conducted in compost soil. The experiments confirmed the ability of the two bacteria and fungi strains in biodegradation of polylactide (PLA) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The combination

This study offers a Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for the recovery of long-term oil-polluted soils. An NPK-type substituted organic fertilizer (SOF) was formulated using available nature-based materials, and its effect on bacterial diversity, richness and community composition investigated during the remediation of a long-term crude oil-impacted soil. Results obtained were compared to a control and

The growing uses of functional polymers in different domains and the well-established remanence of synthetic polymers underline the necessity to study their microbial biodegradation. A phylloplane bacterial collection was screened for its potential to overcome documented factors limiting polymer biodegradation, i.e. low cleavable long chain linear polymers and low bioavailable hydrophobic compounds

The aim of this study was to visualize non-enzymatic oxidative degradation damages in the initial decay stage of the brown rot fungus Rhodonia placenta degradation in furfuryl alcohol (FA) modified wood cell walls and untreated wood cell walls of radiata pine (Pinus radiata) sapwood. A decay test with small wood blocks (1.5 × 1.5 × 5 mm³) of untreated and furfurylated radiata pine selected from two