Kinetics of p-nitrophenol degradation by Pseudomonas sp.: an experiment illustrating bioremediation

Kinetics of p-nitrophenol (PNP) degradation by Pseudomonas sp. (nonpathogenic) play a role in an experiment that illustrates bioremediation for senior-level undergraduate students of chemistry. Both the substrate, PNP, and the product can be assayed with a spectrophotometer. The stoichiometry of the reaction can be found over time because 4-nitrocatechol (4NC), which appears in one of the breakdown steps catalyzed by bacteria, remains in solution as a stable intermediate. The reaction is relatively rapid.