Anaerobic transformations and bioremediation of chlorinated solvents

Groundwater chlorinated solvent plumes remediation from the past to the future: a scientometric and visualization analysis

Contamination of groundwater with chlorinated hydrocarbons has serious adverse effects on human health. As research efforts in this area have expanded, a large body of literature has accumulated. However, traditional review writing suffers from limitations regarding efficiency, quantity, and timeliness, making it difficult to achieve a comprehensive and up-to-date understanding of developments in the field. There is a critical need for new tools to address emerging research challenges. This study evaluated 1619 publications related to this field using VOSviewer and CiteSpace visual tools. An extensive quantitative analysis and global overview of current research hotspots, as well as potential future research directions, were performed by reviewing publications from 2000 to 2022. Over the last 22 years, the USA has produced the most articles, making it the central country in the international collaboration network, with active cooperation with the other 7 most productive countries. Additionally, institutions have played a positive role in promoting the publication of science and technology research. In analyzing the distribution of institutions, it was found that the University of Waterloo conducted the majority of research in this field. This paper also identified the most productive journals, Environmental Science & Technology and Applied and Environmental Microbiology, which published 11,988 and 3253 scientific articles over the past 22 years, respectively. The main technologies are bioremediation and chemical reduction, which have garnered growing attention in academic publishing. Our findings offer a useful resource and a worldwide perspective for scientists engaged in this field, highlighting both the challenges and the possibilities associated with addressing groundwater chlorinated solvent plumes remediation.

Enhanced perchloroethene dechlorination by humic acids via increasing the dehalogenase activity of Dehalococcoides strains

Perchloroethene (PCE) is a widely used chlorinated solvent. PCE is toxic to humans and has been identified as an environmental contaminant at thousands of sites worldwide. Several Dehalococcoides mccartyi strains can transform PCE to ethene, and thus contribute to bioremediation of contaminated sites. Humic acids (HA) are ubiquitous redox-active compounds of natural aquatic and soil systems and have been intensively studied because of their effect in electron transfer. In this study, we observed the dechlorination of PCE was accelerated by HA in mixed cultures containing Dehalococcoides strains. Anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonic acid (AQDS), a humic acid analogue, inhibited PCE dechlorination in our cultures and thus induced an opposite effect on PCE dehalogenation than HA. We observed the same effect on PCE dechlorination with the pure culture of Dehalococcoides mccartyi strain CBDB1. Not only in mixed cultures but also in pure cultures, growth of Dehalococcoides was not influenced by HA but inhibited by AQDS. Enzymatic activity tests confirmed the dehalogenating activity of strain CBDB1 was increased by HA, especially when using hydrogen as electron donor. We conclude that HA enhanced PCE dechlorination by increasing the reaction speed between hydrogen and the dehalogenase enzyme rather than acting as electron shuttle through its quinone moieties.

Photoreductive degradation of CCl4 by UV-Na2SO3: influence of various factors, mechanism and application

Due to the strong electron-withdrawing nature of Cl atom in CCl₄, CCl₄ could not readily be degraded by oxidation process. In the present study, aqueous electron (e_aq ^-), a powerful reducing agent generated in UV-Na₂SO₃ system, was applied to reductively degradation of CCl₄. The effects of several crucial factors (e.g. Na₂SO₃ concentration, solution pH, inorganic ions and NOM) on CCl₄ degradation as well as degradation mechanism and pathway were systematically investigated. Results indicated that CCl₄ was efficiently degraded in UV-Na₂SO₃ system and the process could be well described by pseudo-first order kinetic model. The degradation rate increased with the elevated Na₂SO₃ concentration (0-10 mmol/L) and solution pH (6.0-8.0), while remained approximately constant in alkaline conditions (pH = 8.0, 9.0 and 10.0). Nevertheless, O₂, inorganic ions and NOM exerted a negative effect on CCl₄ degradation and the removal efficiency of CCl₄ in groundwater was only 31.7%. Mechanistic study implied that degradation of CCl₄ was primarily induced by e_aq ^-. CCl₄ (10 mg/L) was almost completely dechlorinated within 60 min and the predominant intermediate products were CHCl₃, C₂Cl₄ and C₂HCl₃. CHCl₃ and CH₂Cl₂ were also rapidly degraded in the UV-Na₂SO₃ system.

Targeted delivery of hydrogen for the bioremediation of aquifers contaminated by dissolved chlorinated compounds

Dihydrogen (H₂) gas injection is a promising option to enhance the reductive biodehalogenation of contaminants in groundwater. However, it is challenging to ensure its targeted delivery at the right places in plumes, and for the long times required for bioremediation. In this paper, the ability of surfactant foam to retain H₂ in the saturated zone and to enhance its release in the dissolved form was compared to traditional biosparging. H₂ gas was injected, either alone, or as foam, in a 2D saturated cell packed with glass beads. This cell was continuously flushed with deoxygenated water to mimic aquifer circulation, and H₂ was studied both in terms of gas distribution in the cell and dissolved concentrations downstream the injection zone. Experimental results are discussed in conjunction with simulations obtained using modeling. Both show that the viscous behavior of foam allows to efficiently retain greater volumes of H₂ gas, 3.5 times higher than biosparging. Moreover, it is retained in a dense manner around the injection point, making possible the targeted delivery of this reagent. Besides, the gas dissolution in groundwater showed to be steadier and more persistent when gas was injected as foam, with dissolution rate constants observed to be 1.12 à 1.58 times lower. Finally, the retained foamed-gas persistently reduced water's relative permeability 1.7 to 5 times, diverting the groundwater flow from the treated zone despite the fast elution of the surfactant. Hence, when H₂-foam injection is targeted to plume's contaminant concentration hotspots, on top of enhancing bioremediation, it can reduce contaminant diffusion to groundwater.

Widespread Distribution of Dehalococcoides mccartyi in the Houston Ship Channel and Galveston Bay, Texas, Sediments and the Potential for Reductive Dechlorination of PCDD/F in an Estuarine Environment

Sediments in the Houston Ship Channel and upper Galveston Bay, Texas, USA, are polluted with polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/furans (PCDD/F; ≤46,000 ng/kg dry weight (wt.)) with 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), the most toxic congener, contributing >50 % of the total toxic equivalents (TEQ) at most locations. We measured PCDD/F concentrations in sediments and evaluated the potential for enhanced in situ biodegradation by surveying for Dehalococcoides mccartyi, an obligate organohalide respiring bacterium. Dehalococcoides spp. (98 % similar to D. mccartyi) and 22 other members of the class Dehalococcoidia were predominant 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) phylotypes. Dehalococcoides spp. were also present in the active fraction of the bacterial community. Presence/absence PCR screening detected D. mccartyi in sediment cores and sediment grab samples having at least 1 ng/kg dry wt. TEQ at salinities ranging from 0.6 to 19.5 PSU, indicating that they are widespread in the estuarine environment. Organic carbon-only and organic carbon + sulfate-amended sediment microcosm experiments resulted in ∼60 % reduction of ambient 2,3,7,8-TCDD in just 24 months leading to reductions in total TEQs by 38.4 and 45.0 %, respectively, indicating that 2,3,7,8-TCDD degradation is occurring at appreciable rates.

Simultaneous biodegradation of carbon tetrachloride and trichloroethylene in a coupled anaerobic/aerobic biobarrier

Simultaneous biodegradation of carbon tetrachloride (CT) and trichloroethylene (TCE) in a biobarrier with polyethylene glycol (PEG) carriers was studied. Toluene/methanol and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) were used as electron donors and an electron acceptor source, respectively, in order to develop a biologically active zone. The average removal efficiencies for TCE and toluene were over 99.3%, leaving the respective residual concentrations of ∼12 and ∼57μg/L, which are below or close to the groundwater quality standards. The removal efficiency for CT was ∼98.1%, with its residual concentration (65.8μg/L) slightly over the standards. TCE was aerobically cometabolized with toluene as substrate while CT was anaerobically dechlorinated in the presence of electron donors, with the respective stoichiometric amount of chloride released. The oxygen supply at equivalent to 50% chemical oxygen demand of the injected electron donors supported successful toluene oxidation and also allowed local anaerobic environments for CT reduction. The originally augmented (immobilized in PEG carriers) aerobic microbes were gradually outcompeted in obtaining substrate and oxygen. Instead, newly developed biofilms originated from indigenous microbes in soil adapted to the coupled anaerobic/aerobic environment in the carrier for the simultaneous and almost complete removal of CT, TCE, and toluene. The declined removal rates when temperature fell from 28 to 18°C were recovered by doubling the retention time (7.2 days).

Photoreaction of adsorbed diiodomethane: halide effects of a series of neutral palladium(ii) coordination cages

The synthetic aspect of a series of [Pd₆X₁₂L₄] (X⁻ = Cl⁻, Br⁻, I⁻) cages, including Br/I replacement reaction and halide effects on physicochemical properties, adsorption of CH₂I₂, and photo-cyclopropanation, has been investigated.

A study of chlorinated solvent contamination of the aquifers of an industrial area in central Italy: a possibility of bioremediation

Perchloroethene, trichloroethene, and other chlorinated solvents are widespread groundwater pollutants. They form dense non-aqueous phase liquids that sink through permeable groundwater aquifers until non-permeable zone is reached. In Italy, there are many situations of serious contamination of groundwater that might compromise their use in industry, agriculture, private, as the critical case of a Central Italy valley located in the province of Teramo (“Val Vibrata”), characterized by a significant chlorinated solvents contamination. Data from the various monitoring campaigns that have taken place over time were collected, and new samplings were carried out, resulting in a complete database. The data matrix was processed with a multivariate statistic analysis (in particular principal component analysis, PCA) and was then imported into geographic information system (GIS), to obtain a model of the contamination. A microcosm anaerobic study was utilized to assess the potential for in situ natural or enhanced bioremediation. Most of the microcosms were positive for dechlorination, particularly those inoculated with a mineral medium. This indicate the presence of an active native dechlorinating population in the subsurface, probably inhibited by co-contaminants in the groundwater, or more likely by the absence or lack of nutritional factors. Among the tested electron donors (i.e., yeast extract, lactate, and butyrate) lactate and butyrate enhanced dechlorination of chlorinated compounds. PCA and GIS studies allowed delimiting the contamination; the microcosm study helped to identify the conditions to promote the bioremediation of the area.

Performance of an anaerobic, static bed, fixed film bioreactor for chlorinated solvent treatment

Anaerobic, fixed film, bioreactors bioaugmented with a dechlorinating microbial consortium were evaluated as a potential technology for cost effective, sustainable, and reliable treatment of mixed chlorinated ethanes and ethenes in groundwater from a large groundwater recovery system. Bench- and pilot-scale testing at about 3 and 13,500 L, respectively, demonstrated that total chlorinated solvent removal to less than the permitted discharge limit of 100 μg/L. Various planned and unexpected upsets, interruptions, and changes demonstrated the robustness and reliability of the bioreactor system, which handled the operational variations with no observable change in performance. Key operating parameters included an adequately long hydraulic retention time for the surface area, a constant supply of electron donor, pH control with a buffer to minimize pH variance, an oxidation reduction potential of approximately -200 millivolts or lower, and a well-adapted biomass capable of degrading the full suite of chlorinated solvents in the groundwater. Results indicated that the current discharge criteria can be met using a bioreactor technology that is less complex and has less downtime than the sorption based technology currently being used to treat the groundwater.

Genome sequence determination and metagenomic characterization of a Dehalococcoides mixed culture grown on cis-1,2-dichloroethene

A Dehalococcoides-containing bacterial consortium that performed dechlorination of 0.20 mM cis-1,2-dichloroethene to ethene in 14 days was obtained from the sediment mud of the lotus field. To obtain detailed information of the consortium, the metagenome was analyzed using the short-read next-generation sequencer SOLiD 3. Matching the obtained sequence tags with the reference genome sequences indicated that the Dehalococcoides sp. in the consortium was highly homologous to Dehalococcoides mccartyi CBDB1 and BAV1. Sequence comparison with the reference sequence constructed from 16S rRNA gene sequences in a public database showed the presence of Sedimentibacter, Sulfurospirillum, Clostridium, Desulfovibrio, Parabacteroides, Alistipes, Eubacterium, Peptostreptococcus and Proteocatella in addition to Dehalococcoides sp. After further enrichment, the members of the consortium were narrowed down to almost three species. Finally, the full-length circular genome sequence of the Dehalococcoides sp. in the consortium, D. mccartyi IBARAKI, was determined by analyzing the metagenome with the single-molecule DNA sequencer PacBio RS. The accuracy of the sequence was confirmed by matching it to the tag sequences obtained by SOLiD 3. The genome is 1,451,062 nt and the number of CDS is 1566, which includes 3 rRNA genes and 47 tRNA genes. There exist twenty-eight RDase genes that are accompanied by the genes for anchor proteins. The genome exhibits significant sequence identity with other Dehalococcoides spp. throughout the genome, but there exists significant difference in the distribution RDase genes. The combination of a short-read next-generation DNA sequencer and a long-read single-molecule DNA sequencer gives detailed information of a bacterial consortium.

Multi-isotope (carbon and chlorine) analysis for fingerprinting and site characterization at a fractured bedrock aquifer contaminated by chlorinated ethenes

The use of compound specific multi-isotope approach (C and Cl) in the characterization of a chlorinated ethenes contaminated fractured aquifer allows the identification of several sources and contaminant plumes, as well as the occurrence of biodegradation and mixing processes. The study site is located in Spain with contamination resulting in groundwater concentrations of up to 50mg/L of trichloroethene (TCE), the most abundant chlorinated ethene, and 7 mg/L of tetrachloroethene (PCE). The potential sources of contamination including abandoned barrels, an underground tank, and a disposal lagoon, showed a wide range in δ(13)C values from -15.6 to -40.5‰ for TCE and from -18.5 to -32.4‰ for PCE, allowing the use of isotope fingerprinting for tracing of the origin and migration of these contaminants in the aquifer. In contrast, there is no difference between the δ(37)Cl values for TCE in the contaminant sources, ranging from +0.53 to +0.66‰. Variations of δ(37)Cl and δ(13)C in the different contaminant plumes were used to investigate the role of biodegradation in groundwater. Moreover, the isotopic data were incorporated into a reactive transport model for determination of whether the isotope pattern observed downstream from the tank's source could be explained by the simultaneous effect of mixing and biodegradation. The results demonstrate that a multi-isotope approach is a valuable tool for characterization of complex sites such as fractured bedrock aquifer contaminated by multiple sources, providing important information which can be used by consultants and site managers to prioritize and design more successful remediation strategies.

Subsoil heterogeneities controlling porewater contaminant mass and microbial diversity at a site with a complex pollution history

This study seeks to improve our understanding of the conceptual model of pollutant transport and fate in cases of DNAPL contamination at sites with a complex contamination history. The study was carried out in an unconfined aquifer of alluvial fans in the Tarragona Petrochemical Complex (Spain). Two boreholes were drilled and continuous cores were recovered in order to carry out a detailed core description at centimeter scale and a comprehensive sampling of borehole cores. The biogeochemical heterogeneity at these sites is controlled by the conjunction of lithological, hydrochemical and microbiological heterogeneities. Biodegradation processes of contaminant compounds take place not only at the level of the dissolved fraction in the aquifer but also at the level of the fraction retained in the fine, less conductive materials as shown by the biodegradation haloes of parent and metabolite compounds. Sampling the low-conductivity levels also allowed us to identify compounds, e.g. BTEX, that are the remaining traces of the passage of old contaminant plumes whose sources no longer exist. This enabled us to describe past biogeochemical processes and to partially account for the processes occurring today. Transition zones, characterized by numerous textural changes, constitute ecotones whose biostimulation could be effective in promoting the acceleration of the remediation of the multiple pollution at these sites.

Current trends in trichloroethylene biodegradation: a review

Over the past few years biodegradation of trichloroethylene (TCE) using different microorganisms has been investigated by several researchers. In this review article, an attempt has been made to present a critical summary of the recent results related to two major processes--reductive dechlorination and aerobic co-metabolism used for TCE biodegradation. It has been shown that mainly Clostridium sp. DC-1, KYT-1, Dehalobacter, Dehalococcoides, Desulfuromonas, Desulfitobacterium, Propionibacterium sp. HK-1, and Sulfurospirillum bacterial communities are responsible for the reductive dechlorination of TCE. Efficacy of bacterial communities like Nitrosomonas, Pseudomonas, Rhodococcus, and Xanthobacter sp. etc. for TCE biodegradation under aerobic conditions has also been examined. Mixed cultures of diazotrophs and methanotrophs have been used for TCE degradation in batch and continuous cultures (biofilter) under aerobic conditions. In addition, some fungi (Trametes versicolor, Phanerochaete chrysosporium ME-446) and Actinomycetes have also been used for aerobic biodegradation of TCE. The available information on kinetics of biofiltration of TCE and its degradation end-products such as CO2 are discussed along with the available results on the diversity of bacterial community obtained using molecular biological approaches. It has emerged that there is a need to use metabolic engineering and molecular biological tools more intensively to improve the robustness of TCE degrading microbial species and assess their diversity.

Evaluation of substrate removal kinetics for UASB reactors treating chlorinated ethanes

PURPOSE

Lack of focus on the treatment of wastewaters bearing potentially hazardous pollutants like 1,1,2 trichloroethane and 1,1,2,2 tetrachloroethane in anaerobic reactors has provided an impetus to undertake this study. The objective of this exercise was to quantify the behavior of upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactors and predict their performance based on the overall organic substrate removal.

METHODS

The reactors (wastewater-bearing TCA (R2), and wastewater-bearing TeCA (R3)) were operated at different hydraulic retention times (HRTs), i.e., 36, 30, 24, 18, and 12 h corresponding to food-to-mass ratios varying in the range of 0.2–0.7 mg chemical oxygen demand (COD) mg−1 volatile suspended solids day−1. The process kinetics of substrate utilization was evaluated on the basis of experimental results, by applying three mathematical models namely first order, Grau second order, and Michaelis-Menten type kinetics.

RESULTS

The results showed that the lowering of HRT below 24 h resulted in reduced COD removal efficiencies and higher effluent pollutant concentrations in the reactors. The Grau second-order model was successfully applied to obtain the substrate utilization kinetics with high value of R 2 (>0.95). The Grau second-order substrate removal constant (K 2) was calculated as 1.12 and 7.53 day−1 for reactors R2 and R3, respectively.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated the suitability of Grau second-order kinetic model over other models, for predicting the performance of reactors R2 and R3, in treating wastewaters containing chlorinated ethanes under different organic and hydraulic loading conditions.

Effect of carbon sources on the removal of 1,1,2-trichloroethane and 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane in UASB reactor

The effect of two carbon sources namely sodium acetate and ethanol was studied in bench-scale Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) reactors for the removal of chlorinated ethanes i.e., 1,1,2-Trichloroethane (TCA) and 1,1,2,2-Tetrachloroethane (TeCA) contained in the simulated wastewaters. The Hydraulic Retention Time (HRT) was maintained as 24 hours in all the reactors. The granular biomass in the test reactors R2 and R3 were acclimated to 40 mg/L of TCA and 20 mg/L of TeCA, respectively. The effluent TCA and TeCA concentrations were 0.03 mg/L and 0.18 mg/L, respectively, at the end of acclimation phase. Sodium acetate and ethanol both were found to be suitable as the primary substrates in the biodegradation of TCA and TeCA. However, lower concentrations of the toxic pollutants (TCA and TeCA) were obtained in the effluents with the use of sodium acetate. The COD removal efficiency in the test reactors (R2 and R3) varied in the range of 95 % to 98.2 % accompanied by the formation of 1,2-Dichloroethane (DCA) as the major intermediate.

Performance of UASB reactor in the biotreatment of 1,1,2-Trichloroethane

This article aims to examine the performance of bench-scale Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) reactor operated under varying operating conditions, during the treatment of simulated wastewater containing 1,1,2-Trichloroethane (TCA). Initially, reactor R1 (control) and reactor R2 (test) containing TCA were operated at 5 different Hydraulic Retention Times (HRTs) of 36, 30, 24, 18 and 12 hours. TCA removal decreased from 99.8% to 96.5%, when the HRT was reduced from 36 to 12 hours in discrete steps. Later, when the OLR was varied periodically from 1.5 to 3.1 kg COD/m(3).d to obtain a different substrate: co-substrate ratios; lower TCA removal efficiencies were observed at an OLR of 2.5 kg COD/ m(3).d and above. The average effluent concentrations of TCA and COD were 0.12 and 79 mg/L, respectively, at the optimum HRT of 24 hours; whereas the effluent TCA and COD concentrations at the substrate: co-substrate ratio of 50:1 was 0.06 mg/L and 48 mg/L, respectively.

Palladium nanoparticles produced by fermentatively cultivated bacteria as catalyst for diatrizoate removal with biogenic hydrogen

A new biological inspired method to produce nanopalladium is the precipitation of Pd on a bacterium, i.e., bio-Pd. This bio-Pd can be applied as catalyst in dehalogenation reactions. However, large amounts of hydrogen are required as electron donor in these reactions resulting in considerable costs. This study demonstrates how bacteria, cultivated under fermentative conditions, can be used to reductively precipitate bio-Pd catalysts and generate the electron donor hydrogen. In this way, one could avoid the costs coupled to hydrogen supply. The catalytic activities of Pd(0) nanoparticles produced by different strains of bacteria (bio-Pd) cultivated under fermentative conditions were compared in terms of their ability to dehalogenate the recalcitrant aqueous pollutants diatrizoate and trichloroethylene. While all of the fermentative bio-Pd preparations followed first order kinetics in the dehalogenation of diatrizoate, the catalytic activity differed systematically according to hydrogen production and starting Pd(II) concentration in solution. Batch reactors with nanoparticles formed by Citrobacter braakii showed the highest diatrizoate dehalogenation activity with first order constants of 0.45 ± 0.02 h⁻¹ and 5.58 ± 0.6 h⁻¹ in batches with initial concentrations of 10 and 50 mg L⁻¹ Pd, respectively. Nanoparticles on C. braakii, used in a membrane bioreactor treating influent containing 20 mg L⁻¹ diatrizoate, were capable of dehalogenating 22 mg diatrizoate mg⁻¹ Pd over a period of 19 days before bio-Pd catalytic activity was exhausted. This study demonstrates the possibility to use the combination of Pd(II), a carbon source and bacteria under fermentative conditions for the abatement of environmental halogenated contaminants.

Methanogenic community development in anaerobic granular bioreactors treating trichloroethylene (TCE)-contaminated wastewater at 37 °C and 15 °C

Four expanded granular sludge bed (EGSB) bioreactors were seeded with a mesophilically-grown granular sludge and operated in duplicate for mesophilic (37 °C; R1 & R2) and low- (15°; R3 & R4) temperature treatment of a synthetic volatile fatty acid (VFA) based wastewater (3 kg COD m(-3) d(-1)) with one of each pair (R1 & R3) supplemented with increasing concentrations of trichloroethylene (TCE; 10, 20, 40, 60 mg l(-1)) and one acting as a control. Bioreactor performance was evaluated by % COD removal efficiency and % biogas methane (CH(4)) content. Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) was used to investigate the methanogenic community composition and dynamics in the bioreactors during the trial, while specific methanogenic activity (SMA) and toxicity assays were utilized to investigate the activity and TCE/dichloroethylene (DCE) toxicity thresholds of key trophic groups, respectively. At both 37 °C and 15 °C, TCE levels of 60 mg l(-1) resulted in the decline of % COD removal efficiencies to 29% (Day 235) and 37% (Day 238), respectively, and in % biogas CH(4) to 54% (Day 235) and 5% (Day 238), respectively. Despite the inhibitory effect of TCE on the anaerobic digestion process, the main drivers influencing methanogenic community development, as determined by qPCR and Non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis, were (i) wastewater composition and (ii) operating temperature. At the apical TCE concentration both SMA and qPCR of methanogenic archaea suggested that acetoclastic methanogens were somewhat inhibited by the presence of TCE and/or its degradation derivatives, while competition by dechlorinating organisms may have limited the availability of H(2) for hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis. In addition, there appeared to be an inverse correlation between SMA levels and TCE tolerance, a finding that was supported by the analysis of the inhibitory effect of TCE on two additional biomass sources. The results indicate that low-temperature anaerobic digestion is a feasible approach for the treatment of TCE-containing wastewater.

Direct coupling of a genome-scale microbial in silico model and a groundwater reactive transport model

The activity of microorganisms often plays an important role in dynamic natural attenuation or engineered bioremediation of subsurface contaminants, such as chlorinated solvents, metals, and radionuclides. To evaluate and/or design bioremediated systems, quantitative reactive transport models are needed. State-of-the-art reactive transport models often ignore the microbial effects or simulate the microbial effects with static growth yield and constant reaction rate parameters over simulated conditions, while in reality microorganisms can dynamically modify their functionality (such as utilization of alternative respiratory pathways) in response to spatial and temporal variations in environmental conditions. Constraint-based genome-scale microbial in silico models, using genomic data and multiple-pathway reaction networks, have been shown to be able to simulate transient metabolism of some well studied microorganisms and identify growth rate, substrate uptake rates, and byproduct rates under different growth conditions. These rates can be identified and used to replace specific microbially-mediated reaction rates in a reactive transport model using local geochemical conditions as constraints. We previously demonstrated the potential utility of integrating a constraint-based microbial metabolism model with a reactive transport simulator as applied to bioremediation of uranium in groundwater. However, that work relied on an indirect coupling approach that was effective for initial demonstration but may not be extensible to more complex problems that are of significant interest (e.g., communities of microbial species and multiple constraining variables). Here, we extend that work by presenting and demonstrating a method of directly integrating a reactive transport model (FORTRAN code) with constraint-based in silico models solved with IBM ILOG CPLEX linear optimizer base system (C library). The models were integrated with BABEL, a language interoperability tool. The modeling system is designed in such a way that constraint-based models targeting different microorganisms or competing organism communities can be easily plugged into the system. Constraint-based modeling is very costly given the size of a genome-scale reaction network. To save computation time, a binary tree is traversed to examine the concentration and solution pool generated during the simulation in order to decide whether the constraint-based model should be called. We also show preliminary results from the integrated model including a comparison of the direct and indirect coupling approaches and evaluated the ability of the approach to simulate field experiment.

Investigation of the bioremediation potential of aerobic zymogenous microorganisms in soil for crude oil biodegradation

The bioremediation potential of the aerobic zymogenous microorganisms in soil (Danube alluvium, Pancevo, Serbia) for crude oil biodegradation was investigated. A mixture of paraffinic types of oils was used as the substrate. The laboratory experiment of the simulated oil biodegradation lasted 15, 30, 45, 60 and 75 days. In parallel, an experiment with a control sample was conducted. Extracts were isolated from the samples with chloroform in a separation funnel. From these extracts, the hydrocarbons were isolated by column chromatography and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). n-Alkanes, isoprenoids, phenanthrene and its derivatives with one and two methyl groups were quantitatively analyzed. The ability and efficiency of zymogenous microorganisms in soil for crude oil bioremediation was assessed by comparison between the composition of samples which were exposed to the microorganisms and the control sample. The investigated microorganisms showed the highest bioremediation potential in the biodegradation of n-alkanes and isoprenoids. A considerably high bioremediation potential was confirmed in the biodegradation of phenanthrene and methyl phenanthrenes. Low bioremediation potential of these microorganisms was proven in the case of polycyclic alkanes of the sterane and triterpane types and dimethyl phenanthrenes.

Mammalian cytochrome CYP2E1 triggered differential gene regulation in response to trichloroethylene (TCE) in a transgenic poplar

Trichloroethylene (TCE) is an important environmental contaminant of soil, groundwater, and air. Studies of the metabolism of TCE by poplar trees suggest that cytochrome P450 enzymes are involved. Using poplar genome microarrays, we report a number of putative genes that are differentially expressed in response to TCE. In a previous study, transgenic hybrid poplar plants expressing mammalian cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) had increased metabolism of TCE. In the vector control plants for this construct, 24 h following TCE exposure, 517 genes were upregulated and 650 genes were downregulated over 2-fold when compared with the non-exposed vector control plants. However, in the transgenic CYP2E1 plant, line 78, 1,601 genes were upregulated and 1,705 genes were downregulated over 2-fold when compared with the non-exposed transgenic CYP2E1 plant. It appeared that the CYP2E1 transgenic hybrid poplar plants overexpressing mammalian CYP2E1 showed a larger number of differentially expressed transcripts, suggesting a metabolic pathway for TCE to metabolites had been initiated by activity of CYP2E1 on TCE. These results suggest that either the over-expression of the CYP2E1 gene or the abundance of TCE metabolites from CYP450 2E1 activity triggered a strong genetic response to TCE. Particularly, cytochrome p450s, glutathione S-transferases, glucosyltransferases, and ABC transporters in the CYP2E1 transgenic hybrid poplar plants were highly expressed compared with in vector controls.

Remediation of trichloroethylene by bio-precipitated and encapsulated palladium nanoparticles in a fixed bed reactor

Trichloroethylene is a toxic and recalcitrant groundwater pollutant. Palladium nanoparticles bio-precipitated on Shewanella oneidensis were encapsulated in polyurethane, polyacrylamide, alginate, silica or coated on zeolites. The reactivity of these bio-Pd beads and zeolites was tested in batch experiments and trichloroethylene dechlorination followed first order reaction kinetics. The calculated k-values of the encapsulated catalysts were a factor of six lower compared to non-encapsulated bio-Pd. Bio-Pd, used as a catalyst, was able to dechlorinate 100 mgL(-1) trichloroethylene within a time period of 1h. The main reaction product was ethane; yet small levels of chlorinated intermediates were detected. Subsequently polyurethane cubes empowered with bio-Pd were implemented in a fixed bed reactor for the treatment of water containing trichloroethylene. The influent recycle configuration resulted in a cumulative removal of 98% after 22 h. The same reactor in a flow through configuration achieved removal rates up to 1059 mg trichloroethylene g Pd(-1)d(-1). This work showed that fixed bed reactors with bio-Pd polyurethane cubes can be instrumental for remediation of water contaminated with trichloroethylene.

Kinetics of transformation of 1,1,1-trichloroethane by Fe(II) in cement slurries

This study examines the applicability of the iron-based degradative solidification/stabilization (DS/S-Fe(II)) process to 1,1,1-trichloroethane (1,1,1-TCA), which is one of common chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons (CAHs) of concern at contaminated sites. DS/S-Fe(II) combines contaminant degradation by Fe(II) and immobilization by the hydration reactions of Portland cement. The transformation of 1,1,1-TCA by Fe(II) in 10% Portland cement slurries was studied using a batch slurry reactor system. The effects of Fe(II) dose, pH, and initial concentration of 1,1,1-TCA on the kinetics of 1,1,1-TCA degradation were evaluated. Degradation of 1,1,1-TCA in cement slurries including Fe(II) was very rapid and could be described by a pseudo-first-order rate law. The half-lives for 1,1,1-TCA were measured between 0.4 and 5h when Fe(II) dose ranged from 4.9 to 39.2mM. The pseudo-first-order rate constant increased with pH to a maximum near pH 12.5. A saturation rate equation was able to predict degradation kinetics over a wide range of target organic concentrations and at higher Fe(II) doses. The major transformation product of 1,1,1-TCA in mixtures of Fe(II) and cement was 1,1-dichloroethane (1,1-DCA), which indicates that degradation occurred by a hydrogenolysis pathway. A small amount of ethane was observed. The conversion of 1,1,1-TCA to ethane was better described by a parallel reaction model than by a consecutive reaction model.

In situ bioremediation of monoaromatic pollutants in groundwater: a review

Monoaromatic pollutants such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and mixture of xylenes are now considered as widespread contaminants of groundwater. In situ bioremediation under natural attenuation or enhanced remediation has been successfully used for removal of organic pollutants, including monoaromatic compounds, from groundwater. Results published indicate that in some sites, intrinsic bioremediation can reduce the monoaromatic compounds content of contaminated water to reach standard levels of potable water. However, engineering bioremediation is faster and more efficient. Also, studies have shown that enhanced anaerobic bioremediation can be applied for many BTEX contaminated groundwaters, as it is simple, applicable and economical. This paper reviews microbiology and metabolism of monoaromatic biodegradation and in situ bioremediation for BTEX removal from groundwater under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. It also discusses the factors affecting and limiting bioremediation processes and interactions between monoaromatic pollutants and other compounds during the remediation processes.

Microbial CO conversions with applications in synthesis gas purification and bio-desulfurization

Recent advances in the field of microbial physiology demonstrate that carbon monoxide is a readily used substrate by a wide variety of anaerobic micro-organisms, and may be employed in novel biotechnological processes for production of bulk and fine chemicals or in biological treatment of waste streams. Synthesis gas produced from fossil fuels or biomass is rich in hydrogen and carbon monoxide. Conversion of carbon monoxide to hydrogen allows use of synthesis gas in existing hydrogen utilizing processes and is interesting in view of a transition from hydrogen production from fossil fuels to sustainable (CO2-neutral) biomass. The conversion of CO with H2O to CO2 and H2 is catalyzed by a rapidly increasing group of micro-organisms. Hydrogen is a preferred electron donor in biotechnological desulfurization ofwastewaters and flue gases. Additionally, CO is a good alternative electron donor considering the recent isolation of a CO oxidizing, sulfate reducing bacterium. Here we review CO utilization by various anaerobic micro-organisms and their possible role in biotechnological processes, with a focus on hydrogen production and bio-desulfurization.

Electroenzymatic Reactions. Investigation of a Reductive Dehalogenase by Means of Electrogenerated Redox Cosubstrates

As an illustration of how cyclic voltammetry can be used to unravel the mechanisms and kinetics of redox enzymes, the reductive dechlorination of trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene by a typical reductive dehalogenase, the tetrachloroethene reductive dehalogenase of Sulfurospirillum multivorans (formerly called Dehalospirillum multivorans), was investigated by means of several electrochemically generated cosubstrates. They comprised the monocation and the neutral form of methylviologen, the neutral form of benzylviologen, and cobaltocene. Cyclic voltammetry is used to produce the active form of the cosubstrate under controlled potential conditions. It shows large plateau-shaped catalytic responses, which are used to measure the kinetics of the enzymatic reaction as a function of the substrate and cosubstrate concentrations. The variation of the rate constant for the cosubstrate reaction with its standard potential shows the transition between two asymptotic behaviors, one in which the reaction is under diffusion control and the other in which it is under counter-diffusion control. Simple fitting of this plot allows an estimation of the standard potential of the electron acceptor center in the enzyme (E degrees = -0.57 V vs NHE).

Riboflavin- and cobalamin-mediated biodegradation of chloroform in a methanogenic consortium

Chloroform (CF) is an important priority pollutant contaminating groundwater. Reductive dechlorination by anaerobic microorganisms is a promising strategy towards the remediation of CF. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of redox active vitamins as electron shuttles to enhance the anaerobic biodegradation of CF in an unadapted methanogenic consortium not previously exposed to chlorinated compounds. Only negligible degradation of CF was observed in control cultures lacking redox active vitamins. The addition of riboflavin (RF), cyanocobalamin (CNB12), and hydroxycobalamin (HOB12) enabled biodegradation of CF. The reactions were predominantly catalyzed biologically as evidenced by the lack of any CF conversion in heat-killed controls amended with the cobalamins or minor conversion with RF. In live cultures, significant increases in the rate of CF conversion was observed at substoichiometric molar ratios as low as 0.1 to 0.01 vitamin:CF for RF and CNB12, respectively. At the highest molar vitamin:CF ratios tested of 0.2, the first-order rate constant of CF degradation was 5.3- and 91-fold higher in RF and CNB12 amended cultures, respectively, compared to the unamended control culture. The distribution of biotransformation products was highly impacted by the type of redox active vitamin utilized. Cultures supplemented with RF provided high yields of dichloromethane (DCM). On the other hand, cobalamins promoted the near complete mineralization of organochlorine in CF to inorganic chloride and lowered the yield of DCM. In cultures where no or little CF bioconversion occurred, prolonged exposure to CF resulted in cell lysis, as evidenced by the release of intracellular chloride. The results taken as a whole suggest that the anaerobic bioremediation of CF-contaminated sites can greatly be improved with strategies aimed at increasing the concentration of redox active vitamins.

Batch-test study on the dechlorination of 1,1,1-trichloroethane in contaminated aquifer material by zero-valent iron

Chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons are common groundwater contaminants. One possible remediation option is in-situ reductive dechlorination by zero-valent iron, either by direct injection or as reactive barriers. Chlorinated ethenes (tetrachloroethene: PCE; trichloroethene: TCE) have received extensive attention in this context. However, another common groundwater pollutant, 1,1,1-trichlorethane (TCA), has attracted much less attention. We studied TCA reduction by three types of granular zero-valent irons in a series of batch experiments using polluted groundwater, with and without added aquifer material. Two types of iron were able to reduce TCA completely with no daughter product concentration increases (1,1-dichloroethane: DCA; chloroethane: CA). One type of iron showed slower reduction, with intermediate rise of DCA and CA concentrations. When evaluating the formation of daughter products, the tests on the groundwater alone showed different results than the groundwater plus aquifer batches: DCA did not temporarily accumulate in the batches with added aquifer material, contrary to the batches without added aquifer material. 1,1-dichloroethene (DCE, also present in the groundwater as an abiotic degradation product of TCA) was also reduced slower in the batches without added aquifer material than in the batches with aquifer material. Redox potentials gradually decreased to low values in batches with aquifer material without iron, while the batches with groundwater alone maintained a constant higher redox potential. Either adsorption processes or microbiological activity in the samples could explain these phenomena. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR: a targeted gene probe technique) for chlorinated aliphatic compound (CAH)-degrading bacteria confirmed the presence of Dehalococcoides sp. (chloroethene-degraders) but was negative for Desulfobacterium autotrophicum (a known co-metabolic TCA degrader). DCA reduction was rate determining: first-order half-lives of 300-350 h were observed. TCA was fully removed within hours. CA is resistant to reduction by zero-valent iron but it is known to hydrolyze easily. Since CA did not accumulate in our batches, it may have disappeared by the latter mechanism or it may not have formed as a major daughter product.

Hydrogen concentrations in sulfate-reducing estuarine sediments during PCE dehalogenation

Despite recent progress made evaluating the role of hydrogen (H2) as a key electron donor in the anaerobic remediation of chloroethenes, few studies have focused on the evaluation of hydrogen thresholds relative to reductive dehalogenation in sulfidogenic environments. Competition for hydrogen exists among microbial populations in anaerobic sediments, and direct evidence indicates that lower hydrogen thresholds are observed with more energetically favorable electron-accepting processes. This study examined aqueous hydrogen concentrations associated with sulfate reduction and perchloroethylene (PCE) dehalogenation in anoxic estuarine sediment slurry microcosms and evaluated the competition for H2-reducing equivalents within these systems. After an initial lag period of 13 days, PCE was reductively transformed to trichloroethylene (TCE). During the time of continuous PCE dehalogenation, a significantly (P < 0.05) lower hydrogen concentration (0.5 nM) was observed in the sediment slurries amended with PCE as compared to slurries without PCE (0.8 nM). Sulfate reduction to sulfide was observed in all sediment slurries, but in microcosms actively dechlorinating PCE, the amount of reducing equivalents directed to sulfate reduction was approximately half the amount in sediment slurries without PCE. These findings provide evidence that a lower hydrogen threshold exists in anoxic estuarine sediment slurries with PCE as a terminal electron acceptor as compared to sediment slurries in which sulfate reduction was the predominant electron-accepting process. Furthermore, our results utilizing the inhibitor molybdate indicated that H2-utilizing methanogens may have the potential to effectively compete with dechlorinators for hydrogen when sulfate reduction is initially inhibited.