Biodegradation of Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals and Residual Organic Pollutants of Pulp and Paper Mill Effluent by Biostimulation
Authors: Sangeeta Yadav
Sonam Tripathi
Pooja Sharma
Ram Chandra
Journal: Frontiers in Microbiology (2018)
Discipline: MICROBIOLOGY
Keywords: biostimulation; chromosomal aberration; ligninolytic enzyme; phytotoxicity; pulp paper effluent
Affiliations: Department of Environmental Microbiology, School for Environmental Sciences, B.B. Ambedkar Central University, Lucknow, India.

Abstract:  Effluent discharged from the pulp and paper industry contains various refractory and androgenic compounds, even after secondary treatment by activated processes. Detailed knowledge is not yet available regarding the properties of organic pollutants and methods for their bioremediation. This study focused on detecting residual organic pollutants of pulp and paper mill effluent after biological treatment and assessing their degradability by biostimulation. The major compounds identified in the effluent were 2,3,6-trimethylphenol, 2-methoxyphenol (guaiacol), 2,6-dimethoxyphenol (syringol), methoxycinnamic acid, pentadecane, octadecanoic acid, trimethylsilyl ester, cyclotetracosane, 5,8-dimethoxy-6-methyl-2,4-bis(phenylmethyl)napthalen-1-ol, and 1,2-benzendicarboxylic acid diisononyl ester. Most of these compounds are classified as endocrine-disrupting chemicals and environmental toxicants. Some compounds are lignin monomers that are metabolic products from secondary treatment of the discharged effluent. This indicated that the existing industrial process could not further degrade the effluent. Supplementation by carbon (glucose 1.0%) and nitrogen (peptone 0.5%) bio-stimulated the degradation process. The degraded sample after biostimulation showed either disappearance or generation of metabolic products under optimized conditions, i.e., a stirring rate of 150 rpm and temperature of 37 ¬± 1¬∞C after 3 and 6 days of bacterial incubation. Isolated potential autochthonous bacteria were identified as Klebsiella pneumoniae IITRCP04 (KU715839), Enterobacter cloacae strain IITRCP11 (KU715840), Enterobacter cloacae IITRCP14 (KU715841), and Acinetobacter pittii strain IITRCP19 (KU715842). Lactic acid, benzoic acid, and vanillin, resulting from residual chlorolignin compounds, were generated as potential value-added products during the detoxification of effluent in the biostimulation process, supporting the commercial importance of this process. 

Retracted: Yes

PubPeer comments:
 In this manuscript, Authors fail to provide original GC-MS data. Authors did not provide original GC-MS Chromatograms, even they did not provide m Z ratio of compounds. , 
 No GC-MS facility available in authors University , 
 Image recycling between two papers while treatments are different. doi: 10.3389 fmicb.2018.00960t FIGURE 7: Different chromosomal aberration induced by pulp paper mill effluent before (au2013h) and after (iu2013l) bacterial treatment. (a) disturbed pole to pole arrangement of chromosomes at metaphase (b) vagrant chromosome at metaphase (c) diagonal anaphase (d) arrow shows laggard chromosome (e) vagrant chromosome in anaphase-telophase (f) diploid chromosome (g) ring chromosome (h) sticky anaphase (i) normal prophase (j) normal metaphase (k) normal anaphase (l) normal telophase. Doi: 10.1007 s10661-018-6947-1 Fig 6: Different chromosomal aberrations in Allium cepa induced by PPECS (eu2013l) and the control (au2013d): normal prophase (a), normal metaphase (b), normal anaphase (c), normal telophase (d), stick metaphase (e), disturbed anaphase (f), anaphase bridge (g), chromosome laggards at the anaphase (h), sticky anaphase (i), c-mitosis (j), ring chromosome (k), and u201carrowedu201d vacuolated nucleus (I).  , 
 Image 6 (a) from 10.1007 s10661-018-6947-1 and image7 (i) from 10.3389 fmicb.2018.00960 are also part of duplication. , 
 This paper has been retracted. https: www.frontiersin.org articles 10.3389 fmicb.2021.708133 full ,