p-Cresol biotransformation by a nitrifying consortium

The oxidizing ability of a nitrifying consortium exposed to p-cresol (25 mg CL(-1)) was evaluated in batch cultures. Biotransformation of the phenolic compound was investigated by identifying the different intermediates formed. p-Cresol inhibited the ammonia-oxidizing process with a decrease of 83% in the specific rate of ammonium consumption. After 48 h, ammonium consumption efficiency was 96+/-9% while nitrate yield reached 0.95+/-0.06 g NO(3)(-)-Ng(-1)NH(4)(+)-N consumed. High value for nitrate production yield showed that the nitrifying metabolic pathway was only affected at the specific rate level being nitrate the main end product. The consortium was able to totally oxidize p-cresol at a specific rate of 0.17+/-0.06 mg p-cresol-Cmg(-1) microbial protein h(-1). p-Cresol was first transformed to p-hydroxybenzaldehyde and p-hydroxybenzoate, which were later completely mineralized. In the presence of allylthiourea, a specific inhibitor of ammonia monooxygenase (AMO), p-cresol was oxidized to the same intermediates and in a similar pattern as obtained without the AMO inhibitor. AMO seemed not to be involved in the p-cresol oxidation process. When p-hydroxybenzaldehyde was added (25 mg CL(-1)), the nitrifying process was inhibited in the same way as observed with p-cresol, indicating that p-hydroxybenzaldehyde could be the main compound responsible for nitrification inhibition. p-Hydroxybenzaldehyde was accumulated during 15 h before complete consumption at a specific rate value eight times lower than the p-cresol consumption rate. Results showed that p-hydroxybenzaldehyde oxidation was the limiting step in p-cresol mineralization by the nitrifying consortium.