DDx degradation by addition of toluene and glycerol. Degradation mechanisms of DDX induced by the addition of toluene and glycerol as cosubstrates in soils

Abiotic and biotic processes can be used to remediate DDX (DDT, DDD, DDE, and DDNS) contaminated soils; these processes can be fostered using specific carbon-amendments to stimulate particular soil indigenous microbial communities to improve degradation rates or extent. In this study, toluene and glycerol were evaluated as cosubstrates under aerobic and anoxic conditions to determine the degradation efficiencies of DDX and to elucidate possible degradation mechanisms. Slurry microcosms experiments were performed during 60 days using pre-treated soil with zero-valent iron (ZVI). Toluene addition enhanced the percentage of degradation of DDX benign the DDNS the main compound degraded (around 86%) under aerobic conditions, but not in anoxic conditions, suggesting an aromatic ring cleavage by oxygenases as the initial step of the degradation pathway. Glycerol addition under anoxic conditions favored the abiotic degradation of DDX mediated by sulfate-reducing bacteria activity, where DDT was the main compound degraded (around 90%). The 16S rDNA metagenomic analyses revealed Rhodococcus ruber and Desulfosporisinus auripigmenti as the predominant bacterial species after 40 days of treatment with toluene and glycerol additions, respectively. This study provides evidence of biotic and abiotic DDX degradation by the addition of toluene and glycerol as cosubstrates in ZVI pretreated DDX-contaminated soil.