The 2-aminobenzothiazole (ABT) degradation was compared between free suspended bacteria in water and bacteria immobilized on an alginate matrix. Three processes of ABT degradation were studied: the photodegradation under solar light in presence of the complex Fe(III)-nitrilotriacetic acid (FeNTA), the biodegradation by the strict aerobic bacterium Rhodococcus rhodochrous and the photobiodegradation by combining these two processes. R. rhodochrous metabolism was studied by in vivo 31P and 13C NMR: information about phosphorous and carbonaceous metabolism were obtained. The bacterium response faced with different stresses was evaluated and showed its adaptation ability to the environment variations. The iron speciation for its important role in the activation of the ABT biodegradation was studied: organic complexes, iron oxides and oxy(hydr)oxides were tested to know the bioavailable forms for R. rhodochrous.
