Research Progress on Degradation of Bisphenol A

(Reporter Yan Jie) Researchers at the Urban Environment and Health Key Laboratory of the Urban Environment Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have revealed the mechanism of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria's conversion to bisphenol A. Research papers by assistant researcher Sun Qian as the first author and researcher Yu Changping as a correspondent have recently been published online in the international journal Environmental Science and Technology.

It is understood that bisphenol A (BPA) is mainly used for the production of shatterproof plastics, also known as polycarbonate in the industry. Bisphenol A has a large amount of use and is widely available in the environment. It has its presence in mineral water bottles, medical devices, and food packaging. However, bisphenol A can also cause endocrine disorders that threaten the health of the fetus and children. Obesity caused by cancer and metabolic disorders is also considered to be related to this.

The Environmental Biotechnology Research Group from this key laboratory has been working on the research of the migration and conversion of new pollutants. Recently, they found that ammonia-oxidizing bacteria can convert ammonia nitrogen into nitrous nitrogen, and then through non-biological nitrification, BPA will be converted to nitro-substituted BPA.

The study of actual samples found that the presence of nitro-substituted BPA in the effluent of the wastewater treatment plant indicates that BPA nitration is one of the pathways for BPA conversion in the wastewater treatment plant. This study provides a theoretical basis for further understanding of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria for the removal of endocrine disruptors.