Publications by authors named "Marco-Urrea E"

The groundwater at the Sardas landfill in Huesca, Spain, is contaminated with benzene, chlorobenzenes, and hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) isomers due to illegal waste dumping from a former lindane factory. In this study, microcosms using field-derived groundwater to evaluate in situ bioremediation were constructed. Anaerobic biostimulation with lactate successfully transformed α-, β-, δ-, and γ-HCH within two weeks, but failed to degrade benzene and less chlorinated benzenes, even with nutrient addition.

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Dichloromethane (DCM), a common hazardous industrial chemical, is anaerobically metabolized by four bacterial genera: , , . Dichloromethanomonas, and . Formimonas.

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Toluene is a pollutant frequently detected in contaminated groundwater, mostly due to leakage from underground gasoline storage tanks and pipeline ruptures. Multi-element compound-specific isotope analysis provides a framework to understand transformation processes and design efficient remediation strategies. In this study, we enriched an anaerobic bacterial culture derived from a BTEX-contaminated aquifer that couples toluene and phenol oxidation with nitrate reduction and the concomitant production of carbon dioxide and biomass.

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A multi-layered aquifer in an industrial area in the north of the Iberian Peninsula is severely contaminated with the chlorinated ethenes (CEs) tetrachloroethylene, trichloroethylene, cis-1,2-dichloroethylene, and vinyl chloride. Both shallow and deep aquifers are polluted, with two differentiated north and south CEs plumes. Hydrogeochemical and isotopic data (δC of CEs) evidenced natural attenuation of CEs.

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1,2-dichloropropane (1,2-DCP) and 1,2,3-trichloropropane (1,2,3-TCP) are hazardous chemicals frequently detected in groundwater near agricultural zones due to their historical use in chlorinated fumigant formulations. In this study, we show that the organohalide-respiring bacterium Dehalogenimonas alkenigignens strain BRE15 M can grow during the dihaloelimination of 1,2-DCP and 1,2,3-TCP to propene and allyl chloride, respectively. Our work also provides the first application of dual isotope approach to investigate the anaerobic reductive dechlorination of 1,2-DCP and 1,2,3-TCP.

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Dehalobacter (Firmicutes) encompass obligate organohalide-respiring bacteria used for bioremediation of groundwater contaminated with halogenated organics. Various aspects of their biochemistry remain unknown, including the identities and interactions of respiratory proteins. Here, we sequenced the genome of Dehalobacter sp.

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Subsurface co-contamination by multiple pollutants can be challenging for the design of bioremediation strategies since it may require promoting different and often antagonistic degradation pathways. Here, we investigated the simultaneous degradation of toluene and chloroform (CF) in a continuous-flow anaerobic bioelectrochemical reactor. As a result, 47 μmol L d of toluene and 60 μmol L d of CF were concurrently removed, when the anode was polarized at +0.

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Dichloromethane (DCM, methylene chloride) is a toxic, high-volume industrial pollutant of long-standing. Anaerobic biodegradation is crucial for its removal from contaminated environments, yet prevailing mechanisms remain unresolved, especially concerning dehalogenation. In this study, we obtained an assembled genome of a novel DCM-degrading strain, Dehalobacterium formicoaceticum strain EZ94, from a stable DCM-degrading consortium, and we analyzed its proteome during degradation of DCM.

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Nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) has the potential to degrade a diversity of chlorinated compounds, and it is widely used for remediation of contaminated groundwaters. However, some frequently detected contaminants such as dichloromethane (DCM) and 1,2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCA) have shown nearly no reactivity with nZVI. Here, we tested the feasibility of combining anaerobic dechlorinating bacteria, Dehalobacterium and Dehalogenimonas, and nZVI as a treatment train to detoxify chlorinated methanes (i.

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Brominated organic compounds such as 1,2-dibromoethane (1,2-DBA) are highly toxic groundwater contaminants. Multi-element compound-specific isotope analysis bears the potential to elucidate the biodegradation pathways of 1,2-DBA in the environment, which is crucial information to assess its fate in contaminated sites. This study investigates for the first time dual C-Br isotope fractionation during in vivo biodegradation of 1,2-DBA by two anaerobic enrichment cultures containing organohalide-respiring bacteria (i.

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Using bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) to provide electrochemically generated hydrogen is a promising technology to provide electron donors for reductive dechlorination by organohalide-respiring bacteria. In this study, we inoculated two syntrophic dechlorinating cultures containing and to sequentially transform chloroform (CF) to acetate in a BES using a graphite fiber brush as the electrode. In this co-culture, transformed CF to stoichiometric amounts of dichloromethane (DCM) via organohalide respiration, whereas the -containing culture converted DCM to acetate via fermentation.

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Article Synopsis
  • The biodegradation of lower chlorinated benzenes, particularly monochlorobenzene (MCB) and 1,4-dichlorobenzene (1,4-DCB), was studied at a contaminated coastal aquifer, showing effective degradation in aerobic conditions but not in anaerobic conditions with lactate.
  • Aerobic microcosms demonstrated the ability to degrade multiple chlorinated compounds without any observed inhibition, suggesting a strong microbial activity in those conditions.
  • The study also introduced carbon isotopic analysis to track the biodegradation process, revealing weak carbon isotope fractionation for aerobic pathways and indicating that significant shifts in carbon isotopes are aligned with anaerobic reductive dechlorination processes.
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Trichloromethane (TCM) is a pollutant frequently detected in contaminated aquifers, and only four bacterial strains are known to respire it. Here, we obtained a novel Dehalobacter strain capable of transforming TCM to dichloromethane, which was denominated Dehalobacter sp. strain 8M.

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Bioelectrochemical systems (BES) are promising technologies to enhance the growth of organohalide-respiring bacteria and to treat chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons. In this study, two carbon-based cathodic electrode materials, a graphite brush and a carbon cloth, were used as hydrogen suppliers to couple growth of Dehalogenimonas and dechlorination of 1,2-DCP to nontoxic propene in the cathode vessel. The BES with graphite brush electrode consumed ~4000 µM 1,2-DCP during 110 days and exhibited a degradation rate 5.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study focused on bacteria that use vicinally halogenated alkanes for respiration and aimed to characterize the proteins and their organization in these bacteria.
  • A draft genome of strain BRE15M was sequenced, revealing 31 reductive dehalogenase genes, but only a few had proteins for membrane anchoring.
  • Proteomic analysis showed DcpA as the most expressed protein in a complex that includes several essential subunits for respiration, suggesting a unique quinone-independent respiratory mechanism for these bacteria.
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  • Researchers tested different types of lactate to enhance the biodegradation of perchloroethene (PCE) at a contaminated site, aiming for effective in-situ reduction to ethene (ETH).
  • The pilot study, which involved injecting lactate and monitoring various chemical and microbial parameters over 190 days, showed that lactate successfully created conditions for the complete dechlorination of PCE to ETH.
  • Following the positive outcomes, a full-scale treatment was implemented, significantly reducing PCE and trichloroethene levels, while confirming the success of the process through changes in carbon isotopic compositions.
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  • A mixed culture of bacteria (Dehalobacterium, Acetobacterium, Desulfovibrio, and Wolinella) was used to study how these microbes interact to degrade DCM (dichloromethane) through a three-step process involving fermentation and reductive acetogenesis.
  • 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that Desulfovibrio was the most abundant in cultures enriched with formate or hydrogen, while Dehalobacterium was only present in DCM-amended cultures.
  • The study found that certain co-contaminants like chloroform and diuron completely inhibited DCM degradation, though the cultures regained their degradation ability when transferred to clean medium, highlighting the impact of microbial interactions and
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The bioremediation potential of an aquifer contaminated with tetrachloroethene (PCE) was assessed by combining hydrogeochemical data of the site, microcosm studies, metabolites concentrations, compound specific-stable carbon isotope analysis and the identification of selected reductive dechlorination biomarker genes. The characterization of the site through 10 monitoring wells evidenced that leaked PCE was transformed to TCE and cis-DCE via hydrogenolysis. Carbon isotopic mass balance of chlorinated ethenes pointed to two distinct sources of contamination and discarded relevant alternate degradation pathways in the aquifer.

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Article Synopsis
  • Chlorinated ethanes, particularly 1,1,2-trichloroethane (1,1,2-TCA), are major contaminants in groundwater, and this study applies compound specific isotope analysis (CSIA) to understand their biodegradation pathways for the first time.
  • The research found specific isotope fractionation values indicating that the unique degradation pathway involved dichloroelimination, producing vinyl chloride as a byproduct and confirming the involvement of a Dehalogenimonas-containing culture.
  • The dual carbon and chlorine isotope analysis suggests a simultaneous cleavage of two CCl bonds during degradation, providing valuable insights for monitoring 1,1,2-TCA attenuation and understanding the behavior of vinyl chloride in contaminated sites.
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Even though multi-element isotope fractionation patterns provide crucial information with which to identify contaminant degradation pathways in the field, those involving hydrogen are still lacking for many halogenated groundwater contaminants and degradation pathways. This study investigates for the first time hydrogen isotope fractionation during both aerobic and anaerobic biodegradation of 1,2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCA) using five microbial cultures. Transformation-associated isotope fractionation values (ε) were -115 ± 18‰ (aerobic C-H bond oxidation), -34 ± 4‰ and -38 ± 4‰ (aerobic C-Cl bond cleavage via hydrolytic dehalogenation), and -57 ± 3‰ and -77 ± 9‰ (anaerobic C-Cl bond cleavage via reductive dihaloelimination).

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1,1,2-Trichloroethane (1,1,2-TCA) is a non-flammable organic solvent and common environmental contaminant in groundwater. Organohalide-respiring bacteria are key microorganisms to remediate 1,1,2-TCA because they can gain metabolic energy during its dechlorination under anaerobic conditions. However, all current isolates produce hazardous end products such as vinyl chloride, monochloroethane or 1,2-dichloroethane that accumulate in the medium.

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This study investigates, for the first time, dual C-Cl isotope fractionation during anaerobic biodegradation of 1,2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCA) via dihaloelimination by Dehalococcoides and Dehalogenimonas-containing enrichment cultures. Isotopic fractionation of 1,2-DCA (ε and ε) for Dehalococcoides (-33.0 ± 0.

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Unlabelled: Biodegradation of dichloromethane (DCM) under reducing conditions is of major concern due to its widespread detection in contaminated groundwaters. Here, we report an anaerobic enrichment culture derived from a membrane bioreactor operating in an industrial wastewater treatment plant, capable of fermenting DCM and the brominated analogue dibromomethane (DBM). Comparative analysis of bacterial 16S rDNA-DGGE profiles from fresh liquid medium inoculated with single colonies picked from serial dilution-to-extinction agar vials showed that cultures degrading DCM contained a predominant band belonging to Dehalobacterium, however this band was absent in cultures unable to degrade DCM.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Stable isotopes are valuable tools for studying environmental processes, identifying key microorganisms, and understanding complex interactions and metabolic pathways among different species.
  • - Advances in high-resolution mass spectrometry and increased genomic information enhance the ability to apply stable isotope tracers to various geobiochemical research areas, even in challenging environments.
  • - Despite the promising applications and sensitivity of these technologies, many potential uses for stable isotopes in geobiochemistry remain untapped and warrant further exploration.
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A stable enrichment culture derived from Besòs river estuary sediments stoichiometrically dechlorinated 1,2-dichloropropane (1,2-DCP) to propene. Sequential transfers in defined anaerobic medium with the inhibitor bromoethanesulfonate produced a sediment-free culture dechlorinating 1,2-DCP in the absence of methanogenesis. Application of previously published genus-specific primers targeting 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed the presence of a Dehalogenimonas strain, and no amplification was obtained with Dehalococcoides-specific primers.

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