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Bioprocess performance, transformation pathway, and bacterial community dynamics in an immobilized cell bioreactor treating fludioxonil-contaminated wastewater under microaerophilic conditions

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Abstract

Fludioxonil is a post-harvest fungicide contained in effluents produced by fruit packaging plants, which should be treated prior to environmental dispersal. We developed and evaluated an immobilized cell bioreactor, operating under microaerophilic conditions and gradually reduced hydraulic retention times (HRTs) from 10 to 3.9 days, for the biotreatment of fludioxonil-rich wastewater. Fludioxonil removal efficiency was consistently above 96%, even at the shortest HRT applied. A total of 12 transformation products were tentatively identified during fludioxonil degradation by using liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight Mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF-MS). Fludioxonil degradation pathway was initiated by successive hydroxylation and carbonylation of the pyrrole moiety and disruption of the oxidized cyanopyrrole ring at the NH-C bond. The detection of 2,2-difluoro-2H-1,3-benzodioxole-4-carboxylic acid verified the decyanation and deamination of the molecule, whereas its conversion to the tentatively identified compound 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid indicated its defluorination. High-throughput amplicon sequencing revealed that HRT shortening led to reduced α-diversity, significant changes in the β-diversity, and a shift in the bacterial community composition from an initial activated sludge system typical community to a community composed of bacterial taxa like Clostridium, Oligotropha, Pseudomonas, and Terrimonas capable of performing advanced degradation and/or aerobic denitrification. Overall, the immobilized cell bioreactor operation under microaerophilic conditions, which minimizes the cost for aeration, can provide a sustainable solution for the depuration of fludioxonil-contaminated agro-industrial effluents.

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All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article and its supplementary information files.

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Funding

This research, carried out within the frame of the research project entitled “Development and implementation of novel biobased methods for the treatment of pesticide-contaminated wastewaters from agro-industries, MIS 5030360” has been co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund of the European Union and Greek national funds through the Operational Program Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, under the call RESEARCH – CREATE – INNOVATE (project code: T1EDK-02566).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Wastewater Management and Treatment Technologies, Department of Environmental Engineering, Democritus University of Thrace, Vas. Sofias 12, 67132, Xanthi, Greece

    Ζografina Mavriou, Ioanna Alexandropoulou, Paraschos Melidis & Spyridon Ntougias

  2. Laboratory of Plant and Environmental Biotechnology, Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Thessaly, Viopolis, 41500, Larissa, Greece

    Dimitrios G. Karpouzas

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  1. Ζografina Mavriou
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  2. Ioanna Alexandropoulou
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  3. Paraschos Melidis
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  4. Dimitrios G. Karpouzas
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  5. Spyridon Ntougias
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Contributions

ZM contributed with the experimental design of the study, bioreactor setup, processing and analysis of samples, analysis and interpretation of data, and writing of the manuscript. IA contributed with analysis of samples and interpretation of data. PM contributed with the interpretation of data and the review and editing of the manuscript. DK contributed with the interpretation of data and the review and editing of the manuscript. SN contributed with the experimental design of the study, analysis and interpretation of data, and writing of the manuscript and conceptualized and supervised the work. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Spyridon Ntougias.

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Mavriou, ., Alexandropoulou, I., Melidis, P. et al. Bioprocess performance, transformation pathway, and bacterial community dynamics in an immobilized cell bioreactor treating fludioxonil-contaminated wastewater under microaerophilic conditions. Environ Sci Pollut Res 29, 29597–29612 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-16452-3

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