Cometabolic degradation of chloramphenicol via a meta-cleavage pathway in a microbial fuel cell and its microbial community

Bioresour Technol. 2017 Apr:229:104-110. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2017.01.026. Epub 2017 Jan 13.

Abstract

The performance of a microbial fuel cell (MFC) in terms of degradation of chloramphenicol (CAP) was investigated. Approximately 84% of 50mg/L CAP was degraded within 12h in the MFC. A significant interaction of pH, temperature, and initial CAP concentration was found on removal of CAP, and a maximum degradation rate of 96.53% could theoretically be achieved at 31.48°C, a pH of 7.12, and an initial CAP concentration of 106.37mg/L. Moreover, CAP was further degraded through a ring-cleavage pathway. The antibacterial activity of CAP towards Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 was largely eliminated by MFC treatment. High-throughput sequencing analysis indicated that Azonexus, Comamonas, Nitrososphaera, Chryseobacterium, Azoarcus, Rhodococcus, and Dysgonomonas were the predominant genera in the MFC anode biofilm. In conclusion, the MFC shows potential for the treatment of antibiotic residue-containing wastewater due to its high rates of CAP removal and energy recovery.

Keywords: Chloramphenicol; Degradation pathway; Microbial community; Microbial fuel cell.

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / chemistry
  • Biodegradation, Environmental
  • Bioelectric Energy Sources / microbiology*
  • Biofilms
  • Chloramphenicol / metabolism*
  • Chloramphenicol / pharmacology
  • Electrodes / microbiology
  • Escherichia coli / drug effects
  • High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing
  • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
  • Microbial Consortia / genetics
  • Microbial Consortia / physiology*
  • Shewanella / drug effects
  • Temperature
  • Wastewater / chemistry
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical / metabolism

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Waste Water
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical
  • Chloramphenicol