Is the Arrhenius-correction of biodegradation rates, as recommended through REACH guidance, fit for environmentally relevant conditions? An example from petroleum biodegradation in environmental systems

May 12, 2020

Biodegradation is a major determinant of chemical persistence in the environment and an important consideration for PBT and environmental risk assessments. It is influenced by several environmental factors including temperature and microbial community structure....

Biodegradation and fate of ethyl tert-butyl ether (ETBE) in soil and groundwater: A review

Mar 4, 2020

This review summarises the current state of knowledge on the biodegradation and fate of the gasoline ether oxygenate ethyl tert-butyl ether (ETBE) in soil and groundwater. Microorganisms have been identified in soil and groundwater with the ability to degrade ETBE...

Influence of contaminant exposure on the development of aerobic ETBE biodegradation potential in microbial communities from a gasoline-impacted aquifer

Jan 3, 2020

Aerobic biodegradation of ethyl tert butyl ether (ETBE) in a gasoline-impacted aquifer was investigated in laboratory microcosms containing groundwater and aquifer material from ETBE-impacted and non-impacted locations amended with either ETBE, or ETBE plus methyl...

Biodegradation testing of volatile hydrophobic chemicals in water-sediment systems – Experimental developments and challenges

Aug 10, 2019

Degradation data are crucial for the persistence assessment of chemicals and they are generated using standard OECD guidelines. The OECD 308 describes a simulation biodegradation test of chemicals in water-sediment systems. This guideline is not applicable for testing...

Mixture effects on biodegradation kinetics of hydrocarbons in surface water: Increasing concentrations inhibited degradation whereas multiple substrates did not

Feb 25, 2019

Most biodegradation tests are conducted using single chemicals at high concentrations, although these chemicals are present in the environment as mixtures at low concentrations. A partitioning-based platform was recently developed for biodegradation testing of...