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Degradation of Triclosan under Aerobic, Anoxic, and Anaerobic Conditions

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Abstract

Triclosan (2, 4, 4′-trichloro-2′-hydroxyl diphenyl ether) is a broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent present in a number of house hold consumables. Aerobic and anaerobic enrichment cultures tolerating triclosan were developed and 77 bacterial strains tolerating triclosan at different levels were isolated from different inoculum sources. Biodegradation of triclosan under aerobic, anoxic (denitrifying and sulphate reducing conditions), and anaerobic conditions was studied in batch cultures with isolated pure strains and enrichment consortium developed. Under aerobic conditions, the isolated strains tolerated triclosan up to 1 g/L and degraded the compound in inorganic-mineral-broth and agar media. At 10 mg/L level triclosan, 95 ± 1.2% was degraded in 5 days, producing phenol, catechol and 2, 4-dichlorophenol as the degradation products. The strains were able to metabolize triclosan and its degradation products in the presence of monooxygenase inhibitor 1-pentyne. Under anoxic/anaerobic conditions highest degradation (87%) was observed in methanogenic system with acetate as co-substrate and phenol, catechol, and 2, 4-dichlorophenol were among the products. Three of the isolated strains tolerating 1 g/L triclosan were identified as Pseudomonas sp. (BDC 1, 2, and 3).

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Acknowledgements

Financial assistance from International Foundation for Science (IFS), Sweden (Ref. no. W/4218-1) and infrastructural facilities from CSIR-India for conducting the present study is greatly acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Technology, National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science & Technology (CSIR-India) Industrial estate (PO), Thiruvananthapuram, 695 019, India

    Prajeesh Gangadharan Puthiya Veetil, Anupama Vijaya Nadaraja, Arya Bhasi, Sudheer Khan & Krishnakumar Bhaskaran

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  1. Prajeesh Gangadharan Puthiya Veetil
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  2. Anupama Vijaya Nadaraja
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  3. Arya Bhasi
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  4. Sudheer Khan
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Correspondence to Krishnakumar Bhaskaran.

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Gangadharan Puthiya Veetil, P., Vijaya Nadaraja, A., Bhasi, A. et al. Degradation of Triclosan under Aerobic, Anoxic, and Anaerobic Conditions. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 167, 1603–1612 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-012-9573-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-012-9573-3

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