Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) anaerobic biodegradation occurs during acidogenesis

This is the first study to bring evidence on the anaerobic biodegradation of TBBPA occurring during acidogenesis in domestic sewage at environmentally relevant concentrations by complex microbial communities. This was accomplished by continuously operating two anaerobic structured bed reactors (ASTBR) for over 100 days under acidogenic (Acidogenic Reactor, AR) and multistep methanogenic (Methanogenic Reactor, MR) conditions. In the AR, the temporal carbohydrates consumption and the acetic acid production were strongly correlated with TBBPA removal by the Pearson's test. The spatial concentration of TBBPA and carbohydrates along the MR and the kinetic degradation profiles corroborate the AR results. It is hypothesized that TBBPA biodegradation in the studied conditions occurs during acidogenesis via the cometabolism supported by non-specific enzymes and the metabolism (dehalorespiration) established by electrons donors such as H2, which are both produced during the macrocomponents breakdown in the early stages of the anaerobic digestion. The TBBPA mass balance showed that approximately 86.8 +/- 0.05% and 97 +/- 0.01% of the removed TBBPA was biodegraded in the AR and MR, respectively. Furthermore, TBBPA biodegradation went further than reductive debromination as total phenols were detected in the reactors' effluent.

Automated summary

This study provides evidence on the anaerobic biodegradation of TBBPA in domestic sewage, showing that the removal of TBBPA involves acidogenesis and methanogenesis processes. Through continuous operation of reactors for over 100 days, it was found that TBBPA degradation occurs during acidogenesis via cometabolism supported by non-specific enzymes and dehalorespiration metabolism established by electron donors.