Abstract
Bisphenol A (BPA) is an endocrine disrupting chemical. Its extensive use has led to the wide occurrence of BPA in various environmental ecosystems, at levels that may cause negative effects to the ecosystem and public health. Although there are many bacteria able to BPA utilization, only a few of them have a strong capacity for its biodegradation. Therefore, it is important to search for new bacteria strains, investigate their BPA biodegradation ability and potential effect of pH and other organic compounds on the process. These tasks have become the object of the present study. The results of our research show that for the newly isolated strains Acinetobacter sp. K1MN and Pseudomonas sp. BG12 after 15 days, with an initial BPA concentration of 100 mg L(- 1), the highest BPA removal was achieved at pH 8, while sodium glutamate as a biostimulant best accelerated BPA degradation. Kinetic data for BPA biodegradation by both strains best fitted the Monod model. The specific degradation rate and the half saturation constant were estimated respectively as 8.75 mg L(- 1) day(- 1) and 111.27 mg L(- 1) for Acinetobacter sp. K1MN, and 8.6 mg L(- 1) day(- 1) and 135.79 mg L(- 1) for Pseudomonas sp. BG12. The half-maximal effective concentration (EC(50)) of BPA for Acinetobacter sp. K1MN was 120 mg L(- 1) and for Pseudomonas sp. BG12 it was 123 mg L(- 1). The toxicity bioassay (Microtox test) showed that elimination of BPA by both strains is accompanied by reduction of its toxic effect. The ability of tested strains to degrade BPA combined with their high resistance to this xenobiotic indicates that Acinetobacter sp. K1MN and Pseudomonas sp. BG12 are potential tools for BPA removal during wastewater treatment plant.