Microbial biodegradation and metabolite toxicity of three pyridinium-based cation ionic liquids

文献情報

出版日 2010-02-25

DOI 10.1039/B919154B

インパクトファクター 10.182

著者

Kathryn M. Docherty, Michelle V. Joyce, Konrad J. Kulacki, Charles F. Kulpa

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要旨

Merging the disciplines of green chemistry, ecotoxicology and ecology to develop environmentally-friendly industrial chemicals represents a significant collaborative challenge. This challenge can be met by extending already-informative standard toxicity and biodegradability assays to include further information about the potential persistence and biotransformation of pollutants in the environment. Development of ionic liquids (ILs) provides an ideal and proactive test system to determine several levels of environmental impact using academically interesting and industrially relevant green chemical prototypes. In this study, we investigated the biodegradability of three ILs, 1-butyl-3-methylpyridinium bromide, 1-hexyl-3-methylpyridinium bromide and 1-octyl-3-methylpyridinium bromide, by activated sludge microbial communities. We determined that all three ILs could be fully mineralized, but that only the octyl-substituted cation could be classified as “readily biodegradable”. We directly examined biodegradation products of the ILs using reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry and MS/MS methods, and identified several unique preliminary degradation products. Finally, we determined that IL-biodegradation products were less toxic than the initial compound to a standard aquatic test organism, Daphnia magna, suggesting that biodegradation in an aquatic environment would decrease toxicity hazards associated with the initial compound. This study provides further information about pyridinium IL-biodegradation and guidelines to structure future IL design and research.

掲載誌

Green Chemistry

CiteScore: 16.1

自己引用率: 7.5%

年間論文数: 944

Green Chemistry provides a unique forum for the publication of innovative research on the development of alternative green and sustainable technologies. The scope of Green Chemistry is based on, but not limited to, the definition proposed by Anastas and Warner (Green Chemistry: Theory and Practice, P T Anastas and J C Warner, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1998). Green chemistry is the utilisation of a set of principles that reduces or eliminates the use or generation of hazardous substances in the design, manufacture and application of chemical products. Green Chemistry is at the frontiers of this continuously-evolving interdisciplinary science and publishes research that attempts to reduce the environmental impact of the chemical enterprise by developing a technology base that is inherently non-toxic to living things and the environment. Submissions on all aspects of research relating to the endeavour are welcome. The journal publishes original and significant cutting-edge research that is likely to be of wide general appeal. To be published, work must present a significant advance in green chemistry. Papers must contain a comparison with existing methods and demonstrate advantages over those methods before publication can be considered. For more information please see this Editorial. Coverage includes the following, but is not limited to: Design (e.g. biomimicry, design for degradation/recycling/reduced toxicity…) Reagents & Feedstocks (e.g. renewables, CO2, solvents, auxiliary agents, waste utilization…) Synthesis (e.g. organic, inorganic, synthetic biology…) Catalysis (e.g. homogeneous, heterogeneous, enzyme, whole cell…) Process (e.g. process design, intensification, separations, recycling, efficiency…) Energy (e.g. renewable energy, fuels, photovoltaics, fuel cells, energy storage, energy carriers…) Applications (e.g. electronics, dyes, consumer products, coatings, pharmaceuticals, preservatives, building materials, chemicals for industry/agriculture/mining…) Impact (e.g. safety, metrics, LCA, sustainability, (eco)toxicology…) Green chemistry is, by definition, a continuously-evolving frontier. Therefore, the inclusion of a particular material or technology does not, of itself, guarantee that a paper is suitable for the journal. To be suitable, the novel advance should have the potential for reduced environmental impact relative to the state of the art. Green Chemistry does not normally deal with research associated with 'end-of-pipe' or remediation issues.