Intermediate Levels of Predation and Nutrient Enrichment Enhance the Activity of Ibuprofen-Degrading Bacteria

authored by: Ignacio Peralta-Maraver, Cyrus Rutere, Marcus A Horn, Isabel Reche, Volker Behrends, Julia Reiss, Anne L Robertson
Abstract: Water is the most indispensable natural resource; yet, organic pollution of freshwater sources is widespread. In recent years, there has been increasing concern over the vast array of emerging organic contaminants (EOCs) in the effluent of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Several of these EOCs are degraded within the pore space of riverbeds by active microbial consortia. However, the mechanisms behind this ecosystem service are largely unknown. Here, we report how phosphate concentration and predator–prey interactions drive the capacity of bacteria to process a model EOC (ibuprofen). The presence of phosphate had a significant positive effect on the population growth rate of an ibuprofen-degrading strain. Thus, when phosphate was present, ibuprofen removal efficiency increased. Moreover, low and medium levels of predation, by a ciliated protozoan, stimulated bacterial population growth. This unimodal effect of predation was lost under high phosphate concentration, resulting in the flattening of the relationships between predator density and population growth of ibuprofen degraders. Our results suggest that moderate nutrient and predation levels promote the growth rate of bacterial degraders and, consequently, the self-purifying capability of the system. These findings enhance our understanding of the mechanisms by which riverbed communities drive the processing of EOCs.
Organisation(s): Institute of Microbiology
External Organisation(s): Roehampton University
University of Bayreuth
Type: Article
Journal: Microbial ecology
Volume: 86
Pages: 1438–1441
No. of pages: 4
ISSN: 0095-3628
Publication date: 08.2023
Publication status: Published
Peer reviewed: Yes
ASJC Scopus subject areas: Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics, Ecology, Soil Science
Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 6 - Clean Water and Sanitation, SDG 15 - Life on Land
Electronic version(s): https://doi.org/10.15488/15940 (Access: Open)
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-022-02109-2 (Access: Closed)
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-022-02145-y (Access: Closed)