双酚A（BPA）使用量大，在环境中存在广泛，是备受关注的内分泌干扰物之一。中国科学院城市环境研究所城市环境与健康重点实验室环境生物技术研究组致力于新型污染物迁移转化的研究，近期研究揭示了氨氧化细菌对BPA的转化机制。
该研究发现，氨氧化细菌可将氨氮转化为亚硝氮，而后通过非生物的硝化作用（abiotic nitration），BPA会被转化为硝基取代BPA（nitro-BPA、dinitro-BPA）。对实际样品的研究发现，污水厂的出水中存在硝基取代BPA，表明BPA硝化作用是污水厂中BPA转化的途径之一。
本研究结果为深入了解氨氧化细菌去除内分泌干扰物提供了理论依据。
该研究以助理研究员孙倩博士为第一作者，研究员于昌平博士为通讯作者。该工作得到中国科学院、科技部和厦门市的资助。相关成果“Transformation of Bisphenol A and Alkylphenols by Ammonia-Oxidizing Bacteria through Nitration，”已在环境研究期刊Environmental Science & Technology在线发表。（生物谷Bioon.com）
doi:10.1021/es204424t
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Transformation of Bisphenol A and Alkylphenols by Ammonia-Oxidizing Bacteria through Nitration
Qian Sun†, Yan Li†, Pei-Hsin Chou‡, Po-Yi Peng‡, and Chang-Ping Yu*†
Transformation of bisphenol A (BPA) by ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) Nitrosomonas europaea ATCC 19718 was investigated. On the basis of the ultraperformance liquid chromatography (UPLC) coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (Q-TOF MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance analysis, we found N. europaea could transform BPA into nitro- and dinitro-BPA, suggesting that abiotic nitration between the biogenic nitrite and BPA played a major role in the transformation of BPA in the batch AOB system. Nitrite concentrations, temperature, and pH values were the major factors to influence the reaction rate. Furthermore, the yeast estrogenic screening assay showed that the formed nitro- and dinitro-BPA had much less estrogenic activity as compared with its parent compound BPA. Similar reactions of abiotic nitration were considered for 4-n-nonylphenol (nNP) and 4-n-octylphenol (nOP) since nitro-nNP and nitro-nOP were detected by UPLC-Q-TOF MS. In addition, results from the local wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) showed the occurrence of nitro-BPA and dinitro-BPA during the biological treatment process and in the effluent, indicating that nitration of BPA is also a pathway for removal of BPA. Results of this study provided implication that AOB in the WWTPs might contribute to removal of selected endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) through abiotic nitritation.
