Unusual polar metabolites in the groundwater of a contaminated waste site indicate a new pathway of mononitrotoluene transformation.

At a mononitrotoluene-contaminated waste disposal site, the groundwater was screened for polar transformation products of mononitrotoluenes, by means of HPLC-MS, HPLC-NMR and further off-line NMR and MS techniques. Besides expected metabolites such as aminotoluenes (ATs) and nitrobenzoic acids (NBAs), three unknowns (di- and tetrahydro-derivatives of (2-oxo-quinolin-3-yl) acetic acid) could be identified which, in the context of explosives and related compounds, are new metabolites. Evidence could be provided by microcosm experiments with 2-nitrotoluene (2-NT) that these metabolites are microbial transformation products of 2-NT under anaerobic conditions. The NMR and MS data are presented and the possible pathway for the formation of these metabolites after addition of 2-NT to fumarate is discussed.

Carbon and hydrogen isotope fractionation during anaerobic quinoline degradation.

Quinoline is a N-heterocyclic compound often found at tar oil contaminated field sites. To provide information whether stable isotope analysis can help to characterize the fate of quinoline within contaminated aquifers, carbon and hydrogen isotope fractionation of quinoline were investigated during biodegradation under sulfate-reducing conditions. No significant carbon isotope effect was observed, however, substantial hydrogen isotope fractionation was detected. Thus, hydrogen isotope fractionation may be used as an indicator for in situ biodegradation of quinoline. The bulk hydrogen isotope enrichment factor was εH(bulk)=-33±12‰. During the biodegradation of quinoline the primary intermediate 2-hydroxyquinoline was detected indicating hydroxylation at the C2-position. According to this reaction mechanism, the reactive position specific hydrogen enrichment factor (εH(reactive position)) and apparent kinetic hydrogen isotope effect (AKIE(H)) were calculated and gave values of εH(reactive position)=-205±75‰ and AKIE(H)=1.26±0.12, respectively. The missing carbon isotope effect may be explained by strong masking or an enzymatic direct side-on insertion of oxygen from the MoOH(H) group of the molybdenum center across the CH bond at the C2-position of quinoline with concomitant hydride transfer. The later assumption is supported by recent studies showing that initial step of hydroxylation of N-heteroaromatic compounds proceeds via a similar reaction mechanism.

Ecotoxicity of quinoline and hydroxylated derivatives and their occurrence in groundwater of a tar-contaminated field site.

In the groundwater of a timber impregnation site higher concentrations of hydroxylated quinolines compared to their parent compounds quinoline and isoquinoline were found. Studying the toxicity of parent compounds and metabolites, genotoxicity was found with metabolic activation in the SOS-Chromotest and Ames fluctuation test only for quinoline. An adverse effect on algae was observed only for the parent compounds quinoline and isoquinoline, while in the Daphnia magna immobilization assay most hydroxylated quinoline derivatives showed toxicity. The highest ecotoxic potential was observed in the Vibrio fischeri luminescence-inhibition assay. Comparing experimental EC50-values with QSAR predicted ones, for all compounds apart from isoquinoline and 2(1H)-quinolinone in the V. fischeri test baseline toxicity or polar nacrosis is indicated. In conclusion, the hydroxylation of quinoline leads to a detoxification of the genotoxic potential, while taken additive mixture toxicity and a safety factor into account parent compounds and metabolites are found of ecotoxicological relevance in the groundwater.

Detection of methylquinoline transformation products in microcosm experiments and in tar oil contaminated groundwater using LC-NMR.

N-heterocyclic compounds are known pollutants at tar oil contaminated sites. Here we report the degradation of methyl-, and hydroxy-methyl-substituted quinolines under nitrate-, sulfate- and iron-reducing conditions in microcosms with aquifer material of a former coke manufacturing site. Comparison of degradation potential and rate under different redox conditions revealed highest degradation activities under sulfate-reducing conditions, the prevailing conditions in the field. Metabolites of methylquinolines, with the exception of 2-methylquinolines, were formed in high amounts in the microcosms and could be identified by (1)H NMR spectroscopy as 2(1H)-quinolinone analogues. 4-Methyl-, 6-methyl-, and 7-methyl-3,4-dihydro-2(1H)-quinolinone, the hydrogenated metabolites in the degradation of quinoline compounds, were identified by high resolution LC-MS. Metabolites of methylquinolines showed persistence, although for the first time a transformation of 4-methylquinoline and its metabolite 4-methyl-2(1H)-quinolinone is described. The relevance of the identified metabolites is supported by the detection of a broad spectrum of them in groundwater of the field site using LC-NMR technique. LC-NMR allowed the differentiation of isomers and identification without reference compounds. A variety of methylated 2(1H)-quinolinones, as well as methyl-3,4-dihydro-2(1H)-quinolinone isomers were not identified before in groundwater.

Quinoline and derivatives at a tar oil contaminated site: hydroxylated products as indicator for natural attenuation?

LC-MS-MS analysis of groundwater of a tar oil contaminated site showed the occurrence of the N-heterocycles quinoline and isoquinoline as well as their hydroxylated and hydrogenated metabolites. The concentrations of the hydroxylated compounds, 2(1H)-quinolinone and 1(2H)-isoquinolinone, were significantly higher than those of the nonsubstituted parent compounds. Therefore, exclusive quantification of the parent compounds leads to an underestimation of the amount of N-heterocycles present in the groundwater. Microbial degradation experiments of quinoline and isoquinoline with aquifer material of the site as inocculum showed the formation of hydroxylated and hydrogenated products under sulfate-reducing conditions, the prevailing conditions in the field. However, since analyses of seven tar products showed that these compounds are also primary constituents, their detection in groundwater is found to be a nonsufficient indicator for the occurrence of biological natural attenuation processes. Instead, the ratio of hydroxylated to parent compound (R(metabolite)) is proposed as a useful indicator. We found that 65-83% of all groundwater samples showed R(metabolite) for 2(1 H)-quinolinone, 1(2H)-isoquinolinone, 3,4-dihydro-2(1H)-quinolinone, and 3,4-dihydro-1(2H)-isoquinolinone, which was higher than the highest ratio found in tar products. With respect to the observed partition coefficient between tar oil and water of 3.5 for quinoline and isoquinoline and 0.3 for 2(1H)-quinolinone and 1(2H)-isoquinolinone, the ratio in groundwater would be approximately 10 times higher than the ratio in tar oil. When paying attention to these two parameters, 19-31% of groundwater samples exceed the highest tar oil ratio. This indicates that biological processes take place in the