Pilot studies for in-situ aerobic cometabolism of trichloroethylene using toluene-vapor as the primary substrate

Implementation of in situ aerobic cometabolism for groundwater treatment: State of the knowledge and important factors for field operation

In situ aerobic cometabolism of groundwater contaminants has been demonstrated to be a valuable bioremediation technology to treat many legacy and emerging contaminants in dilute plumes. Several well-designed and documented field studies have shown that this technology can concurrently treat multiple contaminants and reach very low cleanup goals. Fundamentally different from metabolism-based biodegradation of contaminants, microorganisms that cometabolically degrade contaminants do not obtain sufficient carbon and energy from the degradation process to support their growth and require an exogenous growth supporting primary substrate. Successful applications of aerobic cometabolic treatment therefore require special considerations beyond conventional in situ bioremediation, such as competitive inhibition between growth-supporting primary substrate(s) and contaminant non-growth substrates, toxic effects resulting from contaminant degradation, and differences in microbial population dynamics exhibited by biostimulated indigenous consortia versus bioaugmentation cultures. This article first provides a general review of microbiological factors that are likely to affect the rate of aerobic cometabolic biodegradation. We subsequently review fourteen well documented field-scale aerobic cometabolic bioremediation studies and summarize the underlying microbiological factors that may affect the performance observed in these field studies. The combination of microbiological and engineering principles gained from field testing leads to insights and recommendations on planning, design, and operation of an in situ aerobic cometabolic treatment system. With a vision of more aerobic cometabolic treatments being considered to tackle large, dilute plumes, we present several novel topics and future research directions that can potentially enhance technology development and foster success in implementing this technology for environmental restoration.

Recent advances and trends of trichloroethylene biodegradation: A critical review

Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a ubiquitous chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbon (CAH) in the environment, which is a Group 1 carcinogen with negative impacts on human health and ecosystems. Based on a series of recent advances, the environmental behavior and biodegradation process on TCE biodegradation need to be reviewed systematically. Four main biodegradation processes leading to TCE biodegradation by isolated bacteria and mixed cultures are anaerobic reductive dechlorination, anaerobic cometabolic reductive dichlorination, aerobic co-metabolism, and aerobic direct oxidation. More attention has been paid to the aerobic co-metabolism of TCE. Laboratory and field studies have demonstrated that bacterial isolates or mixed cultures containing Dehalococcoides or Dehalogenimonas can catalyze reductive dechlorination of TCE to ethene. The mechanisms, pathways, and enzymes of TCE biodegradation were reviewed, and the factors affecting the biodegradation process were discussed. Besides, the research progress on material-mediated enhanced biodegradation technologies of TCE through the combination of zero-valent iron (ZVI) or biochar with microorganisms was introduced. Furthermore, we reviewed the current research on TCE biodegradation in field applications, and finally provided the development prospects of TCE biodegradation based on the existing challenges. We hope that this review will provide guidance and specific recommendations for future studies on CAHs biodegradation in laboratory and field applications.

Study on the community structure and function of anaerobic granular sludge under trichloroethylene stress

Trichloroethylene (TCE) is one of the most common groundwater pollutants. It is carcinogenic, teratogenic, mutagenic and poses a serious threat to human health and the environment. Therefore, reducing the environmental toxicity of TCE is of great significance. Anaerobic sludge was cultured and acclimated in an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor in this study. The Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) concentration of the influent was approximately 2500 mg L^-1, and the TCE concentration of the influent ranged from 1.46 mg L^-1 to 73 mg L^-1. After biodegradation of the anaerobic microflora, the COD removal rate was approximately 85%, and the TCE removal rate was over 85%. The microbial community of anaerobic sludge was analysed by 16 S rDNA clone libray and 454 high-throughput sequencing. Through analysis of the sequencing results, we found that there were a variety of acid-forming bacteria, anaerobic dechlorinating bacteria, and methanogenic bacteria. Based on the analysis of microflora function, it was speculated that the TCE metabolic pathway took place in UASB reactors. Desulfovibrio and Syntrophobacter provided an anaerobic environment, and acid-forming bacteria metabolise organic compounds into hydrogen. With Dehalobacter and Geobacter, TCE as an electron acceptor is dechlorinated and reduced under the anaerobic environment, in which hydrogen acts as an electron donor. By this, we clarified the metabolic pathway for improving TCE bioremediation.

In situ bioremediation of 1,2-dibromoethane (EDB) in groundwater to part-per-trillion concentrations using cometabolism

1,2-Dibromoethane (ethylene dibromide; EDB) is a probable human carcinogen that was historically added to leaded gasoline as a scavenger to prevent the build-up of lead oxide deposits in engines. Studies indicate that EDB is present at thousands of past fuel spill sites above its stringent EPA Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) of 0.05 μg/L. There are currently no proven in situ options to enhance EDB degradation in groundwater to meet this requirement. Based on successful laboratory studies showing that ethane can be used as a primary substrate to stimulate the aerobic, cometabolic biodegradation of EDB to <0.015 μg/L (Hatzinger et al., 2015), a groundwater recirculation system was installed at the FS-12 EDB plume on Joint Base Cape Cod (JBCC), MA to facilitate in situ treatment. Groundwater was taken from an existing extraction well, amended with ethane, oxygen, and inorganic nutrients and then recharged into the aquifer upgradient of the extraction well creating an in situ reactive zone. The concentrations of EDB, ethane, oxygen, and anions in groundwater were measured with time in a series of nested monitoring wells installed between the extraction and injection well. EDB concentrations in the six monitoring wells that were hydraulically well-connected to the pumping system declined from ~ 0.3 μg/L (the average concentration in the recirculation cell after 3 months of operation without amendment addition) to <0.02 μg/L during the 4-month amendment period, meeting both the federal MCL and the more stringent Massachusetts MCL (0.02 μg/L). The data indicate that cometabolic treatment is a promising in situ technology for EDB, and that low regulatory levels can be achieved with this biological approach.

In situ aerobic cometabolism of chlorinated solvents: a review

The possible approaches for in situ aerobic cometabolism of aquifers and vadose zones contaminated by chlorinated solvents are critically evaluated. Bioaugmentation of resting-cells previously grown in a fermenter and in-well addition of oxygen and growth substrate appear to be the most promising approaches for aquifer bioremediation. Other solutions involving the sparging of air lead to satisfactory pollutant removals, but must be integrated by the extraction and subsequent treatment of vapors to avoid the dispersion of volatile chlorinated solvents in the atmosphere. Cometabolic bioventing is the only possible approach for the aerobic cometabolic bioremediation of the vadose zone. The examined studies indicate that in situ aerobic cometabolism leads to the biodegradation of a wide range of chlorinated solvents within remediation times that vary between 1 and 17 months. Numerous studies include a simulation of the experimental field data. The modeling of the process attained a high reliability, and represents a crucial tool for the elaboration of field data obtained in pilot tests and for the design of the full-scale systems. Further research is needed to attain higher concentrations of chlorinated solvent degrading microbes and more reliable cost estimates. Lastly, a procedure for the design of full-scale in situ aerobic cometabolic bioremediation processes is proposed.

A nutrient injection scheme for in situ bio-remediation

Geological layers often have different hydraulic conductivities. This paper presents an innovative design for delivering aqueous substrates and nutrients to various stratified layers at desired rates during in-situ bio-stimulation. The new delivery system consists of intermittent porous tubes connected in series with impermeable polyethylene tubes that run horizontally in each stratified layer of a contaminated aquifer. Results of the tracer test indicated that the distribution of tritium through each porous tube was fairly uniform. A mathematical model was also developed to calculate the distribution of water flow through each porous tube. By controlling the permeability and the length of porous tubes placed in stratified layers, the new design provides a means to selectively deliver nutrients to various layers at desired rates according to aquifer heterogeneity.

A model and experimental study for dissolution efficiency of gaseous substrates through in situ sparging

Delivering electron acceptors, electron donors, and nutrients in gas state has been practiced for in situ bioremediation. A mathematical model based on air-channel concept was developed in this paper to assess the dissolution transient behavior of gaseous substrates for an in situ sparging process using their chemical and physical properties, aquifer-media characteristics, and field operating conditions. Using toluene as an example, the model was verified with experimental data obtained at field sparging rates ranging from 40 to 80Lair/min. The verified model is a useful means of predicting the dissolution behavior of gaseous substrates during sparging in an unconfined aquifer.