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Updated: Aug 9, 2026

Aerobic Biodegradation Testing of Materials Using a Natural Marine Seawater Inoculum and Closed Loop Respirometer
Published on: October 24, 2025
Biodegradability assessment of several priority hazardous substances: choice, application and relevance regarding
Milena Eleonore Lapertot1, Cesar Pulgarin
1EPFL, Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology, Station 6, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland. milena.lapertot@epfl.ch
Abstract:
Nineteen compounds listed in the category of priority substances (PS) were selected for a biodegradation study using standardized tests. The compounds consist of pesticides, chlorinated solvents and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). In this paper, the choice of the most suitable method is discussed in relation to the physico-chemical properties of each substance. Zahn-Wellens, manometric respirometry and closed-bottle tests are alternatively used. Experimental results are presented and interpreted. Toxicity (Microtox) and bacterial viability (Bac-light) are also used as tools to investigate the influence of each substance on the microbial population (activated sludge). In addition, experimental values are compared with predictive data calculated according to quantitative structure activity relationships (QSARs) models. Biodeg Models were permitted to correctly estimate 17 substances; Survey Models and screening tests also revealed the same behavior for 16 target compounds.
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