Molecular analysis of bacterial isolates and total community DNA from kraft pulp mill effluent treatment systems

1998 ◽  
Vol 44 (6) ◽  
pp. 537-546 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathalie Fortin ◽  
Roberta R Fulthorpe ◽  
D Grant Allen ◽  
Charles W Greer

Chloroaliphatics are major components of bleached kraft mill effluents. Gene probes and oligonucleotide primers were developed to monitor kraft pulp mill effluent treatment systems for the presence of key genes (dehalogenases) responsible for the dehalogenation of chloroaliphatic organics. The primers were used for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of genomic DNA extracted from dehalogenating bacterial isolates and from total community DNA extracted from water and sediments of mill effluent treatment systems. PCR amplification with oligonucleotide primers designed from dhlB, encoding the haloacid dehalogenase from Xanthobacter autotrophicus, revealed the presence of dehalogenase genes in both aerated lagoons and stabilization basins. Similarly, positive results were obtained with mmoX primers designed from the soluble methane monooxygenase gene of Methylococcus capsulatus Bath. The haloacetate dehalogenase encoding gene (dehH2) from Moraxella sp. was typically not detected in mill effluent treatment systems unless the biomass was selectively enriched. DNA sequence analysis of several PCR fragments revealed significant similarity to known dehalogenase and methane monooxygenase genes. The results indicated a broad distribution of known dehalogenation genes and bacteria with chloroorganic-degrading potential in the mill effluent treatment systems.Key words: dehalogenase, gene probes, chloroorganics, PCR, mill effluents.

1983 ◽  
Vol 15 (6-7) ◽  
pp. 47-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
T Kuusi ◽  
M Suihko

Off-flavours in fish were studied from 1969 to 1981 at the Food Research Laboratory of the Technical Research Centre of Finland using sensory methods. In all, 1982 samples of 18 species of Finnish fish, most of them suspected of being tainted, were studied. A trained taste panel scoring on a numerical scale of 0-10, where a score of 5 or less was unacceptable, was used. The off-flavours described were oil, kraft pulp mill effluent, sewage (musty), muddy, rancid, and others. Of all these samples, 34.9% were unacceptable. The most common off-flavour was kraft pulp mill effluent, present in 41.2 % of the unacceptable samples. In acceptable fish slight off-flavours were somet imes found. Of the muddy fish, only 35.2 % of the bream and 28.8 % of the northern pike were unacceptable. The panel was able to discriminate between the different off-flavours, but, in some cases, the boundaries were vague.


1995 ◽  
Vol 31 (11) ◽  
pp. 35-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. G. Brownlee ◽  
S. L. Kenefick ◽  
G. A. MacInnis ◽  
S. E. Hrudey

Odour compounds in extracts of bleached kraft pulp mill effluent (BKME) have been characterized by olfactory gas chromatography (OGC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. A variety of sulfury odours was detected by OGC in addition to woody and pulp mill-like odours. Three sulfur compounds were identified by comparison of retention times and partial mass spectra with authentic standards: dimethyl disulfide, 3-methylthiophene and thioanisole (methyl phenyl sulfide). Typical concentrations in BKME were 1, 0.05, and 0.5 μg/l, respectively. Their odour intensity is relatively low and they were not detected by OGC. Dimethyl trisulfide was tentatively identified by comparison of its partial mass spectrum with a literature (library) spectrum. Its concentration in BKME was estimated at 0.5-2 μg/l. It corresponded to a skunky odour in the OGC profiles. Efforts to identify another odour peak, eluting just after 3-methylthiophene, with a pronounced alkyl sulfide odour were unsuccessful.


1997 ◽  
Vol 35 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 339-345 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. G. Dubé ◽  
J. M. Culp

Experiments were conducted in artificial streams to determine the effects of increasing concentrations of biologically treated bleached kraft pulp mill effluent (BKPME) on periphyton and chironomid growth in the Thompson River, British Columbia. Periphyton growth, as determined by increases in chlorophyll a, was significantly stimulated at all effluent concentrations tested (0.25%, 0.5%, 1.0%, 5.0% and, 10.0%). Chironomid growth (individual weight) was also significantly stimulated at low effluent concentrations (≤1.0%). At higher concentrations (5.0% and 10.0%), chironomid growth was inhibited relative to the 1.0% treatment streams. Increases in growth were attributed to the effects of nutrient and organic enrichment from BKPME. The effluent contained high concentrations of phosphorus and appears to be an important source of carbon for benthic insects grazing on the biofilm. In high concentration effluent streams, chironomid growth decreased despite low levels of typical pulp mill contaminants. This suggests that other compounds in the effluent, such as wood extractives, may be inhibiting chironomid growth. These results support findings of field monitoring studies conducted in the Thompson River where changes in periphyton and chironomid abundance occurred downstream of the bleached kraft pulp mill.


2010 ◽  
Vol 217 (1-4) ◽  
pp. 35-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mário S. Diniz ◽  
Ruth Pereira ◽  
Ana C. Freitas ◽  
Teresa A. P. Rocha-Santos ◽  
Luisa Castro ◽  
...  

1995 ◽  
Vol 52 (7) ◽  
pp. 1339-1350 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. R. van den Heuvel ◽  
D. G. Dixon ◽  
K. R. Munkittrick ◽  
M. R. Servos ◽  
G. J. Van Der Kraak

Prespawning male white sucker (Catostomus commersoni), captured near Jackfish Bay, Lake Superior (exposed to bleached kraft pulp mill effluent (BKME)), and Mountain Bay (reference) were caged in the BKME receiving area for 2, 4, and 8 d. Initially, the hepatic 7-ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase activity was similar in fish from both BKME and reference sites and, upon BKME exposure, increased 20-fold at both sites after 2 d. The H4IIE cell culture bioassay was used to measure 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin toxic equivalent concentration (TEC) in sucker liver extracts. H4IIE bioassay-derived TECs from Jackfish Bay sucker showed no significant treatment differences; combined TECs for all treatments averaged 51.1 pg∙g−1. Mountain Bay sucker liver TECs were initially significantly less (4.64 pg∙g−1) than the Jackfish Bay TECs but did show a significant, fivefold increase when fish were exposed to effluent. Mountain Bay and Jackfish Bay 8-d BKME-exposed fish showed no uptake of TECs calculated from directly measured polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs) during this exposure. The results suggest that PCDDs and PCDFs are not responsible for the mixed function oxidase induction observed. Handling stress caused rapid reduction of the plasma steroids testosterone and 11-ketotestosterone, confounding any possible BKME effect.


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