Barbieri, Manuela, et al. Science of the Total Environment, 2012, 426, 256-263.
A series of batch experiments under denitrification conditions examined the reversible transformation of aromatic amines, specifically diclofenac (DCF) and sulfamethoxazole (SMX), in aquifer materials. Deuterated analogs (diclofenac-d4 and sulfamethoxazole-d4) served as surrogate standards for quantifying DCF and SMX during micropollutant analysis. The experiments evaluated two scenarios: one with an initial pollutant concentration of 1 μg/L and another with 1 mg/L. Both compounds, negatively charged at the experimental pH, temporarily declined in concentration mid-test but rebounded by the end, suggesting denitrification reversibly influences aromatic amine dynamics.
Nitro-diclofenac and 4-nitro-sulfamethoxazole transformation products were detected in bioassays alongside nitrite, with their concentrations inversely correlated to parent compounds. This reversible interaction under denitrification may have environmental significance, potentially clarifying inconsistencies in reported subsurface removal efficiencies of DCF and SMX and variations in SMX behavior.