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Title: Anaerobic biotransformation of trichlorofluoroethene in groundwater microcosms

Journal Article · · Environmental Science and Technology
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/es9811952· OSTI ID:6335472
;  [1];  [2]
  1. Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, OR (United States). Dept. of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering
  2. North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC (United States). Dept. of Microbiology

The biological reduction of trichlorofluoroethene (TCFE) was investigated in anaerobic groundwater microcosms. TCFE was reductively dehalogenated by microorganisms to produce three dichlorofluoroethene isomers, with cis-1,2-dichlorofluoroethene (c-DCFE) being the main isomer formed. Further sequential biological transformation of these compounds to mono-chlorofluoroethene isomers was incomplete and occurred at much slower rates. The rates of TCFE reduction were compared to the rates of reduction of two common chlorinated solvents, perchloroethene (PCE) and trichloroethene (TCE), when present at similar concentrations. Aqueous concentrations ranged from 7.0 to 14.0 mg/L for TCFE and from 7.5 to 15.0 mg/L for PCE and TCE. Similar rates of PCE and TCE transformation relative to TCFE were observed in single-compound tests (PCE, TCE, and TCFE in separate microcosms) and when the contaminants were present together as mixtures in the microcosms. The close similarities between the time course and kinetics of TCFE degradation and the degradation of both PCE and TCE, when present at comparable initial concentrations, suggest that TCFE could potentially be used as a benign reactive tracer to measure in-situ rates of PCE and TCE transformation in contaminated environments.

OSTI ID:
6335472
Journal Information:
Environmental Science and Technology, Vol. 33:12; ISSN 0013-936X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English