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Toxicity Assessment and Bioremediation of Deep Eutectic Solvents by Haloferax mediterranei: A Step toward Sustainable Circular Chemistry

Summary

This research demonstrates that a salt-loving microorganism called Haloferax mediterranei can safely tolerate and even metabolize certain eco-friendly solvents known as deep eutectic solvents (DESs). These solvents are promoted as green alternatives to toxic chemicals, but their safety wasn’t well understood. The study found that this hardy microorganism can use some components of these solvents as food sources, suggesting it could help clean up waste containing these chemicals in an environmentally friendly way.

Background

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) are promising green solvents, but their toxicity assessment remains inconsistent due to varied test organisms and methods. Understanding DES toxicity and biodegradability is crucial for large-scale applications and sustainable waste management. Extremophilic microorganisms like haloarchaea have not been previously tested for DES toxicity despite their potential for bioremediation.

Objective

This study introduces Haloferax mediterranei, a halophilic archaeon naturally adapted to high-salt environments, as a novel model organism to assess both toxicity and biodegradability of acetylcholine chloride and choline chloride-based DESs. The research aims to evaluate growth kinetics and determine bioremediation potential of H. mediterranei for sustainable DES waste management.

Results

H. mediterranei tolerated DES concentrations up to 300 mM with varying responses depending on composition. AcChCl-based DESs caused medium acidification through hydrolysis, while ChCl: ethylene glycol showed no toxicity. Urea served as a nitrogen source enabling growth with maximum OD of 2.69, and acetate from DES hydrolysis functioned as a carbon source. Synergistic effects were observed in AcChCl: urea-based DES.

Conclusion

H. mediterranei demonstrates metabolic versatility and high tolerance to toxic DES components, positioning it as a promising candidate for sustainable bioremediation and circular chemistry applications. The findings highlight the importance of evaluating individual DES components and their interactions when assessing toxicity, and support the use of haloarchaea in responsible DES waste management strategies.
  • Published in:ChemSusChem,
  • Study Type:Experimental Study,
  • Source: PMID: 40516035, DOI: 10.1002/cssc.202500825
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