Isolation and characterization of bacterial strains that have high ability to degrade 1,4-dioxane as a sole carbon and energy source.

Four novel metabolic 1,4-dioxane degrading bacteria possessing high ability to degrade 1,4-dioxane (designated strains D1, D6, D11 and D17) were isolated from soil in the drainage area of a chemical factory. Strains D6, D11 and D17 were allocated to Gram-positive actinomycetes, similar to previously reported metabolic 1,4-dioxane degrading bacteria, whereas strain D1 was allocated to Gram-negative Afipia sp. The isolated strains could utilize a variety of carbon sources, including cyclic ethers, especially those with carbons at position 2 that were modified with methyl- or carbonyl-groups. The cell yields on 1,4-dioxane were relatively low (0.179-0.223 mg-protein (mg-1,4-dioxane)(-1)), which was likely due to requiring energy for C-O bond fission. The isolated strains showed 2.6-13 times higher specific 1,4-dioxane degradation rates (0.052-0.263 mg-1,4-dioxane (mg-protein)(-1) h(-1)) and 2.3-7.8 fold lower half saturation constants (20.6-69.8 mg L(-1)) than the most effective 1,4-dioxane degrading bacterium reported to date, Pseudonocardia dioxanivorans CB1190, suggesting high activity and affinity toward 1,4-dioxane degradation. Strains D1 and D6 possessed inducible 1,4-dioxane degrading enzymes, whereas strains D11 and D17 possessed constitutive ones. 1,4-Dioxane degradation (100 mg L(-1)) by Afipia sp. D1 was not affected by the co-existence of up to 3,000 mg L(-1) of ethylene glycol. The effects of initial pH, incubation temperature and NaCl concentration on 1,4-dioxane degradation by the four strains revealed that they could degrade 1,4-dioxane under a relatively wide range of conditions, suggesting that they have a certain adaptability and applicability for industrial wastewater treatment.