Application of passive dosing to study the biotransformation and biodegradation of hydrophobic compounds

E. C. Smith, Arno Rein, Stefan Trapp, M. B. Heringa, Philipp Mayer, U. Gosewinkel Karlson

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    Abstract

    Achieving well-defined and constant dissolved concentrations of hydrophobic compounds is challenging due to volatilization or sorptive losses. With passive dosing, continual partitioning into the test medium of compound(s) loaded in a polymer compensates for losses, and provides defined and constant dissolved concentrations. Passive dosing can be used for studying biotransformation/ degradation. Here, the polymer HOC reservoir also compensates for losses due to the bio-transformation/degradation process itself. Furthermore, a large mass of test compound is introduced so that compound turnover is significant even at low dissolved concentrations thus facilitating measurement of the relevant endpoint (e.g., metabolic products in biotransformation or growth in biodegradation). This study details two applications of passive dosing for studying bio-transformation/degradation. A format has been developed to study the biodegradation of phenanthrene and fluoranthene by the bacterial strain EPA 505, allowing degradation rates to be quantified at defined freely dissolved concentrations from mg/L down to ng/L levels. Passive dosing was also applied for quantifying the mutagenicity of benzo(a)pyrene metabolites produced after activation by the liver S9 mix in the in vitro Ames II assay. Compared to the case with spiking, responses from passive dosing were shifted by a factor 100-1000 to lower concentrations, and were also more reproducible between repeated tests. This difference in apparent sensitivity cannot solely be explained by partitioning, and is due to slow dissolution kinetics as well as massdepletion of the spiked benzo(a)pyrene. Therefore, passive dosing is a useful tool for the study of hydrophobic compound bio-transformation/degradation at well-defined dissolved concentrations down to very low levels. Important advantages include studying process kinetics at precisely defined dissolved concentrations and allowing increased compound turnover even at constant and low concentrations.
    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationSETAC Europe 21st Annual Meeting Abstract Book
    Number of pages20
    Publication date2011
    Publication statusPublished - 2011
    EventSETAC Europe 21st Annual Meeting: Ecosystem Protection in a Sustainable World: A Challenge for Science and Regulation - Milano Convention Centre, Milano, Italy
    Duration: 15 May 201119 May 2011
    Conference number: 21
    http://milano.setac.eu/home/?contentid=291&pr_id=290

    Conference

    ConferenceSETAC Europe 21st Annual Meeting
    Number21
    LocationMilano Convention Centre
    Country/TerritoryItaly
    CityMilano
    Period15/05/201119/05/2011
    Internet address

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