Degradation of bisphenol A by Bacillus pumilus isolated from kimchi, a traditionally fermented food

Novel bisphenol A (BPA)-degrading bacterial strains, designated as BP-2CK, BP-21DK, and BP-22DK, were isolated from kimchi, a traditionally fermented food. These isolates were identified as Bacillus pumilus and efficiently degraded BPA in a medium supplemented with nutrients such as peptone, beef extract, and yeast extract. Strains BP-2CK, BP-21DK, and BP-22DK successfully degraded 25, 25, and 50 ppm of BPA, respectively, and all strains exhibited BPA-degrading activity in the presence of 10% NaCl. Accumulation of the metabolites including 4-hydroxyacetophenone, one of the intermediates produced by the other BPA-degrading bacteria, was not observed in BPA degradation by the isolated strains. These results indicate that the isolated food-derived bacteria are applicable for the construction of efficient and safer systems for the removal of BPA.