Attempts at inducing anaerobic dechlorination of PCBs in a municipal sludge
- Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District, Madison, WI (United States)
The Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District maintained sludge storage lagoons in which PCBs have been detected. PCB concentrations in the sludge ranged from 0 to 150 {mu}g/g dry weight. The site is currently on the National Priorities List and the potential for bioremediation is being investigated. Preliminary experiments were conducted to determine if sludge borne PCBs could be dechlorinated by stimulating the indigenous bacteria or by adding an inoculum of Hudson River (HR) sediment, Silver Lake sediment or primary digester sludge. Each inoculum was also evaluated for its dechlorinating ability of Aroclor 1242 in the absence of sludge. Although HR sediment significantly dechlorinated Aroclor 1242, none of the treatments containing sludge demonstrated dechlorination. Follow-up experiments were conducted to determine whether bioavailability or competition from the bacteria in the sludge were factors affecting dechlorination. The treatments included adding surfactants, adding Aroclor 1242 in acetone and sterilizing the sludge prior to adding the inoculum. As in the preliminary experiments, dechlorination was observed in the spiked HR sediment but not in the treatments containing sludge. The results will be discussed as well as characteristics of the sludge which may be inhibiting the dechlorination.
- OSTI ID:
- 31764
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9410273-; TRN: IM9517%%59
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 15. annual meeting of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC), Denver, CO (United States), 30 Oct - 3 Nov 1994; Other Information: PBD: 1994; Related Information: Is Part Of Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 15th annual meeting: Abstract book. Ecological risk: Science, policy, law, and perception; PB: 286 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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