L. G. Rich, O. W. Yates
Mar 1, 1955
Citations
0
Influential Citations
7
Citations
Journal
Applied Microbiology
Abstract
During the past few years, 2,4-dinitrophenol has been used for a number of purposes. The drug has been employed as a dietary aid for man, an insecticide, a weed killer, a dye, and a preservative agent for wood. Although toxic in high concentrations, 2,4-dinitrophenol in low concentrations (1 to 25 ppm) has been found by several investigators (Lardy and Phillips, 1943; Loomis and Lipman, 1948; Storey, 1950) to be a powerful stimulator of respiration. Furthermore, it has been shown that the stimulation is accompanied by an inhibition in growth (Loomis and Lipman, 1948). Apparently, 2,4-dinitrophenol acts on the basic mechanism in the cell by which phosphate-bond generation is coupled to oxidative reactions (Fruton andl Simmonds, 1953). As the drug finds wider application, the likelihood of its accidental, or even deliberate, introduction to sanitary sewage systems will increase, a fact which invites the concern of those responsible for the operation of sewage treatment plants where biological processes are employed. The present paper describes a study made of the effect of 2,4-dinitrophenol on activated sludge, an agent widely employed in aerobic biological treatment of sewage.