Papers by Andrzej Szymański
Journal of Environmental Management, 2013
A set of studies was carried using a continuous flow biodegradation unit in order to isolate a mi... more A set of studies was carried using a continuous flow biodegradation unit in order to isolate a microbial community capable of efficient and complete utilization of octylphenol ethoxylates from activated sludge. Increasing concentrations of Triton X-100 (in the range of 1e1000 mg/l) were applied over a time period of 35 days in order to select microorganisms, which exhibit high tolerance towards this surfactant. The fate of the surfactant and its primary degradation products was assessed by HPLC/MS. It was observed that even small doses of the surfactant contributed to the disruption of the activated sludge, due to adsorption of primary Triton X-100 metabolites (octylphenol and short-chained ethoxylates) on the cells, although the long-chain octylphenol ethoxylates were efficiently degraded during the isolation process. The toxicity assessment of octylphenol as well as octylphenol di-and monoethoxylates towards activated sludge allowed for determination of EC 50 values (8 and 55 mg/l, respectively). The identification of the residual microorganisms revealed the presence of Acinetobacter junii, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, Aeromonas hydrophilia, Alcaligenes spp., Pseudomonas fluorescens and Sphingomonas capsulata. The isolated community exhibited a high resistance towards Triton X-100 and was capable of growth even at 10,000 mg/l, with the highest specific growth rate (0.47 h À1 ) observed at 4000 mg/l. Under aerobic conditions both octylphenol and the short-chained ethoxylates were completely degraded while no toxic effect towards the isolated bacterial community was observed.
Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2011
The hypothesis regarding preferential biodegradation of surfactants applied for enhancement of mi... more The hypothesis regarding preferential biodegradation of surfactants applied for enhancement of microbial hydrocarbons degradation was studied. At first the microbial degradation of sole Triton X-100 by soil isolated hydrocarbon degrading bacterial consortium was confirmed under both full and limited aeration with nitrate as an electron acceptor. Triton X-100 (600 mg/l) was utilized twice as fast for aerobic conditions (t 1/2 = 10.3 h), compared to anaerobic conditions (t 1/2 = 21.8 h). HPLC/ESI-MS analysis revealed the preferential biodegradation trends in both components classes of commercial Triton X-100 (alkylphenol ethoxylates) as well as polyethylene glycols. The obtained results suggest that the observed changes in the degree of ethoxylation for polyethylene glycol homologues occurred as a consequence of the 'central fission' mechanism during Triton X-100 biodegradation. Subsequent experiments with Triton X-100 at approx. CMC concentration (150 mg/l) and diesel oil supported our initial hypothesis that the surfactant would become the preferred carbon source even for hydrocarbon degrading bacteria. Regardless of aeration regimes Triton X-100 was utilized within 48-72 h. Efficiency of diesel oil degradation was decreased in the presence of surfactant for aerobic conditions by approx. 25% reaching 60 instead of 80% noted for experiments without surfactant. No surfactant influence was observed for anaerobic conditions.
Analytica Chimica Acta, 2005
A method based on the separation of non-ionic surfactants (NS) in the PTFE capillary trap with fi... more A method based on the separation of non-ionic surfactants (NS) in the PTFE capillary trap with final determination by the indirect adsorptive stripping tensammetry has been developed. The method is suitable for NS determination in river water, raw and treated sewage within the range of 2-10,000 g l −1 . The sample volume varies between 0.1 and 50 ml depending on NS concentration, and the time necessary for a single determination is approximately 15 min. This is several orders of magnitude better than determination with the recommended BiAS method. In environmental samples, recoveries ranges from 81 to 95% and precision ranges from 3 to 10%.
Analytica Chimica Acta, 1995
Three alternative procedures for the determination of non-ionic surfactants (NS) in surface water... more Three alternative procedures for the determination of non-ionic surfactants (NS) in surface water have been developed.
Polish Journal of Environmental Studies
Data concerning the systematic determination of anionic surfactants (AS) and non-ionic surfactant... more Data concerning the systematic determination of anionic surfactants (AS) and non-ionic surfactants (NS) over the period 1990-2000 in a single sampling point (Poznan) is reported, as well as data concerning the determination of these surfactants along the whole of the River Warta measured in 1997-1999. The indirect tensammetric method was applied for the determination of non-ionic surfactants, while the MBAS method was applied for the determination of anionic surfactants. The average concentration of NS over the period 1990-2000 showed a highly increasing tendency, from approximately 25 µg 1-1 to approximately 150 µg 1-1. The average spring-summer concentration of AS over this period fluctuated around the value of 140 µg 1-1, while autumn-winter average concentrations showed a gradual decrease in average concentration over the last five years, from approximately 300 µg 1-1 to approximately 150 µg 1-1.
Water Research, 2003
A procedure has been developed for the determination of non-ionic surfactants (NS) adsorbed on pa... more A procedure has been developed for the determination of non-ionic surfactants (NS) adsorbed on particles of alive and dead activated sludge. The procedure also enables the determination of adsorption of major biodegradation byproducts: short-chained ethoxylates, long-and short-chained PEG. The basis of measurement is the determination of NS concentration in a slurry of activated sludge and in a solution phase. The difference between these two concentrations represents the NS adsorbed on activated sludge. Separation of NS and their biotransformation byproducts from samples and then on narrower fractions was performed by a sequential liquid-liquid extraction and precipitation with modified Dragendorff reagent. The indirect tensammetric technique (ITT) was applied for the final determination. The developed method was checked using the example of the treatment of the surfactant C12E10 (oxyethylated fatty alcohol) (C12E10) in the continuous flow activated sludge facility. No statistically significant accumulation of C12E10 on the alive activated sludge was detected, probably because of faster C12E10 fission than its adsorption. However, significant adsorption of the short-chained ethoxylates (including free alcohol) on the alive activated sludge was found, as well as statistically significant adsorption of long-and short-chained PEG. The adsorption of surfactant C12E10 and its biodegradation by-products on dead activated sludge was found to be higher than the species adsorption on alive activated sludge. r
Water Research, 2000
AbstractÐBiodegradation of two fatty alcohol ethoxylates: surfactant C12E10 (C 12 with an average... more AbstractÐBiodegradation of two fatty alcohol ethoxylates: surfactant C12E10 (C 12 with an average 10 oxyethylene subunits (EO)) and Marlipal 1618/25 (C 16±18 with an average 25 EO) were tested under the continuous¯ow activated sludge conditions of the classical Husmann plant and a plant having a denitrifying chamber. Primary biodegradation and concentration of metabolites: free fatty alcohol (FFA) and poly(ethylene glycols) (PEG) were measured. PEG were divided into two fractions: shortchained (1±3 EO) and long-chained PEG (>3 EO). Tensammetric methods were used for analysis. High primary biodegradation was found 96X820X57 for surfactant C12E10 (C12E10) and 99X620X17 for Marlipal 1618/25 (Marlipal)), though with a high concentration of metabolites: FFA and PEG. FFA concentration corresponded to 30±100% of theoretically predicted concentration (presuming central ®ssion) and dependent on the chemical structure of surfactant and type of plant used for testing. Total PEG concentration was about 20% of that predicted on the basis of central ®ssion, while the ratio of short-chained PEG in the total PEG varied from 20 to 70% and depended on the chemical structure of surfactant and type of plant used for testing. 7
Polish Journal of …, 2006
The removal of non-ionic surfactants (Ns), as well as a long-chained ethoxylates, short-chained N... more The removal of non-ionic surfactants (Ns), as well as a long-chained ethoxylates, short-chained Ns and poly(ethylene glycols)(pEG), was investigated in two sewage treatment plants (sTp) of the activated sludge type and one trickling filter type. The indirect tensammetric method (ITM), and the ITM combined with the Bismuth Active substances (BiAs) separation scheme (BiAs-ITT) were used for the determination of Ns and their metabolites. on average, 85% reduction of total Ns was determined in the activated sludge type sTp and 53% reduction in the case of the trickling filter type sTp. significant concentrations of Ns metabolites (short-chained Ns and pEG) were determined in raw sewage, which indicate that Ns biodegradation had already started in the sewer system. Both tensammetric methods prove to be a useful tool in monitoring Ns and their metabolites in sTp.
TrAC Trends in Analytical Chemistry, 1996
author. 'A glossary of terms and abbreviations is given at the end of the paper. carbons or adsor... more author. 'A glossary of terms and abbreviations is given at the end of the paper. carbons or adsorbed on particles) and polyethylene glycols were discussed.
Water Research, 2001
Abstract}A method for the determination of ethylene glycol (EG), di(ethylene glycol) (E2) and tri... more Abstract}A method for the determination of ethylene glycol (EG), di(ethylene glycol) (E2) and tri(ethylene glycol) (E3) in environmental samples (raw and treated sewage, river water) has been developed. These substances are important by-products in the biotransformation of non-ionic surfactants (NS). The method is based on sequential liquid-liquid extraction with ethyl acetate and chloroform (resulting in the separation of poly(ethylene glycols) (PEG) and EG from the water matrix), precipitation of long-chained PEG (PEGlch) with Dragendorff reagent, extraction of short-chained PEG (PEGsh) (EG, E2 and E3) from a filtrate with chloroform and the final determination using alternating current voltammetry. The precision of the method is 7.3%, the recovery 95% and a detection limit of 1.5 mg in the sample, i.e. 10 mg l À1 was achieved. As evidenced by F and t tests, the developed method is equivalent to the indirect PEGsh determination by the difference approach where concentration of PEGsh is determined by the difference of the total PEG and PEGlch.
Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom, 2004
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Papers by Andrzej Szymański