Isolation of bacteria capable of removing 2-methylisoborneol and effect of cometabolism carbon on biodegradation

Abstract

2-Methylisoborneol (2-MIB) is one of typical odorants in potable water sources, which is hardly removed by conventional water treatment process. In this study, three strains capable of removing 2-MIB singly from drinking water were isolated from activated carbon of sand filter. They were identified to be Shinella zoogloeoides, Bacillus idriensis and Chitinophagaceae bacterium based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. In mineral salts medium without external carbon source, removal efficiencies of 20 μg/L 2-MIB in three days were 23.3%, 32.9% and 17.0% for Shinella zoogloeoides, Bacillus idriensis and Chitinophagaceae bacterium, respectively. The biodegradation of 2-MIB was significantly improved with the presence of cometabolism carbon(glycerol, glucose, etc.). In the period of 20 days, Bacillus idriensis can remove 2 mg/L MIB to 368.2 μg/L and 315.4 μg/L in mineral salts medium without and with glycerol respectively. The removal of 2-MIB by Bacillus idriensis was from 2 mg/L to 958.4 μg/L in Xiba river samples on 15 days.