Anaerobic Biodegradability

Anaerobic Biodegradability

Compound
 Category

Biodegradability

Comments

Polysaccharides &
 Simple sugars

 

+

eg., cellulose, starch, pectine, glucose

Proteins &
 aminoacids

+

 eg., gelatin, potato protein, milk protein
Fats &
 Long chain fatty acids

+

 
Simple alcohols

+

  eg., methanol, ethanol, iso-propanol
Volatile fatty acids

+

  eg., acetate, propionate, butyrate
Formaldehyde

+

    
Aromatic compounds      
  • Aromatic hydrocarbons

─/+

  
  • Phenols

+

  eg. phenol, p-cresol
  • Benzoic acid
+  
  • Benzaldehyde

+

    
  • Chlorinated phenols
+   
  • Chlorobenzenes

─/+

    
  • Nitro-aromatic compounds

+

eg. nitrophenol  (reduced to corresponding aromatic amines)
  • Aromatic amines

─/+

Aromatic amines with hydroxyl or carboxyl substituents tend to be biodegradable (eg. aminobenzoate, aminophenol)
 Other amines are recalcitrant  
Aliphatic compounds    
  • Chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons

─/+

  
@Surfactants    
  • Polyethylene glycols

+

    
  • @various surfactants

@

    
Azo dyes

+

Readily reduced to aromatic amines with electron donating cosubstrates
Phytochemicals   
  • Cellulose

+

  
  • Lignin

High molecular weight lignin is recalcitrant to anaerobic degradation
  • Lignin monomeric compounds

+

eg. guaiacol,  ferulic acid
  • Lignocellulose
─/+Lignocellulose biodegradability increases linearly with decreasing lignin content.
Wood (30% lignin)4% BD
Paper (23% lignin)28% BD
Paper (13% BD)60% BD
Pure cellulose92% BD
  • Volatile terpenes
eg. pinene
  • Wood resin acids
─/+eg. abietic and dehidroabietic acid
 conflicting reports
  • Tannins
─/+High molecular weight tannins are recalcitrant
 Tannin monomers are biodegradable

[Need to illustrate the meaning of symbol of “+/-”]

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