Enrichment of bacterial strains for the biodegradation of endocrine disrupting compounds from sediments of the Pearl River Delta (PRD)

Introduction: Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are those which alter the homeostasis, reproduction, development and/or behavior of organisms. Negative effects have been reported on aquatic species, wildlife, and humans due to exposure to very low (ng L−1) concentrations. Wastewater treatment plants are not able to completely remove these chemicals, contributing to the contamination of receiving water bodies. The situation of The Pearl River Delta (PRD) is of particular concern due to the high industrialization and dense urbanization. In the present study, bacteria degrading estradiols and bisphenols were isolated from sludge from an aeration tank and sediments obtained near a discharge site of a WWTP located in Coloane, Macao. Conclusions: The isolated strains represent valuable candidates for in situ bioremediation of contaminated soils and waters. Promising results were obtained by strain Castellaniella sp. ED55, able to degrade the four compounds at different extents. Further studies are ongoing to optimize the degradation of the compounds and to deepen the knowledge about the mechanisms of degradation including genome sequencing and transcriptomic experiments.