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Biodegradation of bisphenol a in aquatic environments: River die‐away
Author(s) -
Kleĉka Gary M.,
Gonsior Stanley J.,
West Robert J.,
Goodwin Patrick A.,
Markham Dan A.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
environmental toxicology and chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.1
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1552-8618
pISSN - 0730-7268
DOI - 10.1002/etc.5620201211
Subject(s) - biodegradation , environmental chemistry , environmental science , bisphenol a , aquatic environment , surface water , mineralization (soil science) , estuary , aquatic ecosystem , sediment , ecotoxicology , contamination , environmental engineering , chemistry , ecology , biology , soil science , paleontology , organic chemistry , soil water , epoxy
The biodegradability of bisphenol A (BPA) was assessed in surface waters from seven different rivers across the United States and Europe. Rapid biodegradation of BPA was observed in all rivers following lag phases ranging from 2 to 4 d. Biodegradation half‐lives for BPA were typically less than 2 d following the lag phase. Mineralization of BPA was observed in all river waters, with average carbon dioxide yields of approximately 76% of the theoretical maximum (range 59–103%) at the end of the incubation period (≤18 d). Short half‐lives (0.5 to 3 d) were noted for BPA biodegradation in river waters regardless of geographic location, sampling site (i.e., upstream vs downstream of wastewater outfalls), sediment addition (≤0.05%), and initial test chemical concentration (50–5,500 μg/L). Subsequent studies conducted at environmentally relevant concentrations (0.05 and 0.5 μg/L) also indicated short half‐lives (3–6 d) for BPA and support the extrapolation of the half‐lives measured in this study over a wide range of environmental concentrations. The fact that BPA was degraded rapidly in surface waters taken from diverse locations in the United States and Europe as well as in studies recently conducted in Japan suggests that BPA degrading microorganisms are widely distributed in nature. These observations provide clear evidence that BPA is not persistent in the aquatic environment.