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Degradation of nitrocellulose-based paint by Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ATCC 13541

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Abstract

Nitrocellulose is one of the most commonly used compounds in ammunition and paint industries and its recalcitrance to degradation has a negative impact on human health and the environment. In this study the capability of Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ATCC 13541 to degrade nitrocellulose as binder in paint was assayed for the first time. Nitrocellulose-based paint degradation was followed by monitoring the variation in nitrate, nitrite and ammonium content in the culture medium using Ultraviolet–Visible spectroscopy. At the same time cell counts and ATP assay were performed to estimate bacterial density and activity in all samples. Infrared spectroscopy and colorimetric measurements of paint samples were performed to assess chemical and colour changes due to the microbial action. Microscope observations of nitrocellulose-based paint samples demonstrated the capability of the bacterium to adhere to the paint surface and change the paint adhesive characteristics. Finally, preliminary studies of nitrocellulose degradation pathway were conducted by assaying nitrate- and nitrite reductases activity in D. desulfuricans grown in presence or in absence of paint. We found that D. desulfuricans ATCC 13541 is able to transform nitrocellulose as paint binder and we hypothesised ammonification as degradation pathway. The results suggest that D. desulfuricans ATCC 13541 is a good candidate as a nitrocellulose-degrading bacterium.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. Kevin J. Purdy, University of Warwick, for his helpful suggestions made in the course of this research. We also thank Edoardo Accattino for his technical assistance in protein extraction. This study has been partially financed by the Xunta de Galicia (09TMT014203PR) and Ministry of Science and Innovation (BES-2007-16996).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Alimentari e Microbiologiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 2, 20133, Milan, Italy

    L. Giacomucci, F. Villa & F. Cappitelli

  2. Dipartimento di Chimica, Materiali e Ingegneria Chimica ‘Giulio Natta’, Politecnico di Milano, Via Mancinelli 7, 20131, Milan, Italy

    F. Toja & L. Toniolo

  3. Departamento de Edafología y Química Agrícola, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, 15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain

    P. Sanmartín & B. Prieto

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  1. L. Giacomucci
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  2. F. Toja
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  3. P. Sanmartín
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  4. L. Toniolo
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  5. B. Prieto
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  6. F. Villa
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  7. F. Cappitelli
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Correspondence to F. Cappitelli.

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Giacomucci, L., Toja, F., Sanmartín, P. et al. Degradation of nitrocellulose-based paint by Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ATCC 13541. Biodegradation 23, 705–716 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10532-012-9546-9

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