Microbial degradation of toluene under sulfate-reducing conditions and the influence of iron on the process

Journal Article · Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1992 · Applied and Environmental Microbiology; (United States)

OSTI ID:5094460

Beller, H R; Grbic-Galic, D; Reinhard, M ^[1]

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1. Stanford Univ., CA (United States)

Toluene degradation occurred concomitantly with sulfate reduction in anaerobic microcosms inoculated with contaminated subsurface soil from an aviation fuel storage facility near the Patuxent River (Md.). Similar results were obtained for enrichment cultures in which toluene was the sole carbon source. Several lines of evidence suggest that toluene degradation was directly coupled to sulfate reduction in Patuxent River microcosms and enrichment cultures: (1) the two processes were synchronous and highly correlated, (2) the observed stoichiometric ratios of moles of sulfate consumed per mole of toluene consumed were consistent with the theoretical ratio for the oxidation of toluene to CO{sub 2} coupled with the reduction of sulfate to hydrogen sulfide, and (3) toluene degradation ceased when sulfate was depleted, and conversely, sulfate reduction ceased when toluene was depleted. Mineralization of toluene was confirmed in experiments with (ring-U-{sup 14}C)toluene. The addition of millimolar concentrations of amorphous Fe(OH){sub 3} to Patuxent River microcosms and enrichment cultures either greatly facilitated the onset of toluene degradation or accelerated the rate once degradation had begun. In iron-amended microcosms and enrichment cultures, ferric iron reduction proceeded concurrently with toluene degradation and sulfate reduction. Stoichiometric data and other observations indicate that ferric iron reduction was not directly coupled to toluene oxidation but was a secondary, presumably abiotic, reaction between ferric iron and biogenic hydrogen sulfide.

• OSTI ID: 5094460
• Journal Information: Applied and Environmental Microbiology; (United States), Vol. 58:3; ISSN 0099-2240
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AVIATION FUELS
BIODEGRADATION
IRON
CATALYTIC EFFECTS
TOLUENE
CARBON DIOXIDE
CORRELATIONS
GEOCHEMISTRY
MICROCOSMS
POLLUTION SOURCES
REDUCTION
RIVERS
SOILS
SULFATE-REDUCING BACTERIA
SULFATES
ALKYLATED AROMATICS
AROMATICS
BACTERIA
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
DECOMPOSITION
ELEMENTS
FUELS
HYDROCARBONS
METALS
MICROORGANISMS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
STREAMS
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SURFACE WATERS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
020900* - Petroleum- Environmental Aspects
560300 - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology