• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 1999.10a
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• pp.19-22
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• 1999

A microbial consortium derived from a gasoline-contaminated sites was enriched on toluene in 100-mL serum bottle and was found to degrade benzene(B), toluene(T), ethylbenzene(EB), and xylenes(X). Studies conducted to determine the temperature effects and BTEX concentration on BTEX degradation. The results indicated that lowering temperature significantly decreased BTEX degradation rates and varing the BTEX concentration also changed substrate degradation patterns.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.52 no.5
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• pp.638-646
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• 2014

The effect of in-organic chelating agents with Fe(II) and Fe(III) in modified Fenton was evaluated to degradation BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene). Citric acid and pyrophosphate were used in experimentals and an optimum chelating agent for BTEX degradation was determined. In $H_2O_2$/Fe(III)/citric acid, degradation of BTEX was decreased when concentration of citric acid was increased. In $H_2O_2$/Fe(III)/pyrophosphate, degradation of BTEX was increased when concentration of pyrophosphate was increased and degradation for BTEX was relatively high compared with $H_2O_2$/Fe(III)/citric acid. In $H_2O_2$/Fe(II)/chelating agents, degradation for BTEX was high and pH variation was minimized when molar ratio of Fe(II) and citric acid was 1:1. Optimum molar concentration of Fe(II), citric acid and $H_2O_2$ were 7 mM, 7mM and 500 mM for degradation of 100 mg/L of benzene to obtain best efficiency of $H_2O_2$, least precipitation of iron and best degradation.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.375-383
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• 2000

A mixed culture isolated from petroleum-contaminated soil was enriched on toluene as a sole carbon and energy source, and degradation characteristics of BTEX(Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, Xylenes) was observed. In the single-substrate experiments, all the BTEX compounds were degraded, and it was degraded as following orders; toluene, benzene, ethylbenzene, and p-xylene. In the degradation experiments of BTEX mixtures, the degradation rate was decreased compared to that in the single substrate experiment and ethylbenzene was degraded faster than benzene. In the experiments of binary-mixtures, various substrate interactions such as inhibition, stimulation, and non-interaction were observed, and ethylbenzene was shown to be most potent inhibitor of BTEX degradation. In the degradation characteristic studies of xylene isomers, m-xylene and p-xylene were degraded as carbon sources, and it was stimulated in the presence of either benzene or toluene. However, degradation of o-xylene was enhanced only in the presence of benzene.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.7
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• pp.875-885
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• 2023

Volatile organic compounds such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and isomers of xylenes (BTEX) constitute a group of monoaromatic compounds that are found in petroleum and have been classified as priority pollutants. In this study, based on its newly sequenced genome, we reclassified the previously identified BTEX-degrading thermotolerant strain Ralstonia sp. PHS1 as Cupriavidus cauae PHS1. Also presented are the complete genome sequence of C. cauae PHS1, its annotation, species delineation, and a comparative analysis of the BTEX-degrading gene cluster. Moreover, we cloned and characterized the BTEX-degrading pathway genes in C. cauae PHS1, the BTEX-degrading gene cluster of which consists of two monooxygenases and meta-cleavage genes. A genome-wide investigation of the PHS1 coding sequence and the experimentally confirmed regioselectivity of the toluene monooxygenases and catechol 2,3-dioxygenase allowed us to reconstruct the BTEX degradation pathway. The degradation of BTEX begins with aromatic ring hydroxylation, followed by ring cleavage, and eventually enters the core carbon metabolism. The information provided here on the genome and BTEX-degrading pathway of the thermotolerant strain C. cauae PHS1 could be useful in constructing an efficient production host.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.347-352
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• 2005

The isolated microorganisms, Pseudomonas stutzeri, Raoultella planticola (Klebsiella), Serratia fonticola from petroleum contaminated soil were enriched on benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, o-xylene as carbon and energy sources, respectively. And the degradation characteristics of BTEX was observed in the mixed BTEX substrates. We found that the BTEX in mixed substrates were degraded more than 50% by three isolated microorganisms. Among three isolated microorganisms, the highest degradation rate was observed in Pseudomonas stutzeri, but the degradation rate was different according to microorganisms. In order to increase the degradation efficiency, we applied the co-culture of isolated three microorganisms. The mixture rate of pseudomonas stutzeri : Raoultella planticola (Klebsiella) : Serratia fonticola was follows ; 1:2:1, 1:1:2, and 2:1:1, respectively. In two co-culture of 1:2:1 and 1:1:2, degradation rate was lower than isolated microorganisms. However, degradation rate became higher than isolated microorganisms and the degradation rate of benzene, toluene, and ethylene was more than 95% in co-culture of 2:1:1. The degradation rate increased through the co-culture of isolated microorganisms, however, the growth rate decreased. This was resulted from the substrate competition between microorganisms. The co-culture of microorganisms is a effective method to increase the degradation efficiency of BTEX and the co-culture mixing rate is a important factor for determination of degradation efficiency.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2000.11a
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• pp.179-182
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• 2000

Toluene-degrading bacterium, Microbacterium esteraromaticum CS3-1 was isolated from the biofilter for the removal of BTEX. Microbacterium esteraromaticum CS3-1 was shown to utilize toluene as a primary carbon and energy source. Effect of mixed BTEX gases on toluene degradation rate by M. esteraromaticum CS3-1 was investigated in this study. Toluene degradation rate was 2.26(only toluene), 2.06(toluene+benzene), 2.57(toluene+ethylbenzene), and 4.74(toluene+xylene) mmole $toluene\;{\cdot}\;g-DCW^{-1}\;{\cdot}\;h^{-1}$. Toluene degradation rate was 2.26(only toluene), 1.23(toluene+benzene+ethylbenzene), 1.52 (toluene+ethylbenzene+xylene), and 1.76(toluene+benzene+ethylbenzene+xylene) mmole $toluene\;{\cdot}\;g-DCW^{-1}\;{\cdot}\;h^{-1}$. The presence of BTEX compounds over three mixtures had a negative effect on toluene degradation rate. Toluene degradation rates were enhanced by the presence of ethylbenzene or xylene, whereas the presence of benzene had a negative effect on toluene degradation rate in comparison with toluene degradation rate when only toluene is existent.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.39-46
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• 2014

The objectives of this study were to determine biodegradation and characteristics of BTEX and MTBE under aerovic-anaerobic conditions and evaluate the potential of natural attenuation method in denitrifying condition.. In the single-substrate experiments, all of the BTEX compounds were degraded under all the conditions. but, lower degradation of benzene and p-xylene were observed under aerobic condition due to the lack of oxygen initially supplied. In the mixed-substrate experiments, BTEX degradation was delayed compared to that in the single-substrate experiments due to a competition of the substrates. Biodegradation of MTBE was observed only under denitrifying conditions and we expected that MTBE mineralized to $CO_2$ without the accumulation of TBA. We also conducted to determine the effect of initial nitrate concentration on BTEX and MTBE degradation. At low nitrate concentration (<50 mg/L), BTEX degradations were limited by the lack of electron acceptor and BTEX degradation was inhibited at high nitrate concentration (>200 mg/L). The results in this study indicated that biotransformation could be applied to the gasoline-contaminated region under aerovic-anaerobic.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.561-568
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• 1998

Two cometabolic trichloroethylene (TC) degraders, Pseudomonas putida F1 and Burkholderia (Pseudomonas) cepacia G4, were found to catabolize phenol, benzene, toluene, and ethylbenzene as carbon and energy sources. Resting cells of P. putida F1 and B. cepacia G4 grown in the presence of toluene and phenol, respectively, were able to degrade not only benzene, toluene and ethylenzene but also TCE and p-xylene. However, these two strains grown in the absence of toluene or phenol did not degrade TCE and p-xylene. Therefore, it was tentatively concluded that cometabolic degradation of TC and p-xylene was mediated by toluene dioxygenase (P. putida F1) or toluene-2-monooxygenase (B. cepacia G4). Maximal degradation rates of BTEX and TCE by toluene- and phenol-induced resting cells of P. putida F1 and B. cepacia G4 were appeared to be 4-530 nmol/(min$.$mg cell protein) when a single compound was solely served as a target substrate. In case of double substrates, the benzene degradation rate by P. putida F1 in the presence of toluene was decreased up to one seventh of that for the single substrate. TCE degradation rate was also linearly decreased as toluene concentration increased. On the other hand, toluene degradation rate was enhanced by benzene and TCE. For B. cepacia G4, degradation rates of TCE and toluene increased 4 times in the presence of 50 ${\mu}$M phenol. From these results, it was concluded that a degradation rate of a compound in the presence of another cosubstrate(s) could not be predicted by simply generalizing antagonistic or synergistic interactions between substrates.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.403-409
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• 2005

Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) contamination in groundwater often coexists with benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) near the source of the plume. Then, groundwater contamination problems have been developed in areas where the chemical is used. Common sources of water contamination by BTEX and MTBE include leaking underground gasoline storage tanks and leaks and spills from above ground fuel storage tanks, etc. In oil-contaminated environments, anaerobic biodegradation of BTEX and MTBE depended on the concentration and distribution of terminal electron acceptor. In this study, effect of electron acceptor on the anaerobic biodegradation for BTEX and MTBE-contaminated soil was investigated. This study showed the anaerobic biodegradation of BTEX and MTBE in two different soils by using nitrate reduction, ferric iron reduction and sulfate reduction. The soil samples from the two fields were enriched for 65 days by providing BTEX and MTBE as a sole carbon source and nitrate, sulfate or iron as a terminal electron acceptor. This study clearly shows that degradation rate of BTEX and MTBE with electron acceptors is higher than that without electron acceptors. Degradation rate of Ethylbenzene and Xylene is higher than that of Benxene, Toluene, and MTBE. In case of Benzene, Ethylbenzene, and MTBE, nitrate has more activation. In case of Toluene and Xylene, sulfate has more activation.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.909-915
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• 2002

The biodegradation of BTEX components (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, o-xylene, m-xylene, and p-xylene) individually and in mixtures was investigated using the o-xylene-degrading thermo-tolerant bacterium Ralsronia sp. strain PHS1 , which utilizes benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, or o-xylene as its sole carbon source. The results showed that as a single substrate for growth, benzene was superior to both toluene and ethylbenzene. While growth inhibition was severe at higher o-xylene concentrations, no inhibition was observed (up to 100 mg $l^-1$) with ethylbenzene. In mixtures of BTEX compounds, the PHS1 culture was shown to degrade all six BTEX components and the degradation rates were in the order of benzene, toluene, o-xylene, ethylbenzene, and m- and p-xylene. m-Xylene and p-xylene were found to be co-metabolized by this microorganism in the presence of the growth-supporting BTEX compounds. In binary mixtures containing the growth substrates (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene. and o-xylene), PHS1 degraded each BTEX compound faster when it was alone than when it was a component of a BTEX mixture, although the degree of inhibition varied according to the substrates in the mixtures. p-Xylene was shown to be the most potent inhibitor of BTEX biodegradation in binary mixtures. On the other hand, the degradation rates of the non-growth substrates (m-xylene and p-xylene) were significantly enhanced by the addition of growth substrates. The substrate utilization patterns between PHS1 and other microorganisms were also examined.