Remediation of contaminated subsurface materials by a metal-reducing bacterium

Conference · Tue Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1994

OSTI ID:10109206

Gorby, Y A; Amonette, J E; Fruchter, J S

A biotic approach for remediating subsurface sediments and groundwater contaminated with carbon tetrachloride (CT) and chromium was evaluated. Cells of the Fe(iii)-reducing bacterium strain BrY were added to sealed, anoxic flasks containing Hanford groundwater, natural subsurface sediments, and either carbon tetrachloride, CT, or oxidized chromium, Cr(VI). With lactate as the electron donor, BrY transformed CT to chloroform (CF), which accumulated to about 1 0 % of the initial concentration of CT. The remainder of the CT was transformed to unidentified, nonvolatile compounds. Transformation of CT by BrY was an indirect process Cells reduced solid phase Fe(ill) to chemically reactive FE(II) that chemically transformed the chlorinated contaminant. Cr(VI), in contrast, was reduced by a direct enzymatic reaction in the presence or absence of Fe(III)-bearing sediments. These results demonstrate that Fe(ill)-reducing bacteria provide potential for transforming CT and for reducing CR(VI) to less toxic Cr(III). Technologies for stimulating indigenous populations of metal-reducing bacteria or for introducing specific metal-reducing bacteria to the subsurface are being investigated.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 10109206
• Report Number(s): PNL-SA--25469; CONF-941124--10; ON: DE95004924
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

052000
054000
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540220
540230
BIODEGRADATION
CARBON TETRACHLORIDE
CHEMICALS MONITORING AND TRANSPORT
CONTAMINATION
GROUND WATER
HEALTH AND SAFETY
MICROORGANISMS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS MONITORING AND TRANSPORT
REMEDIAL ACTION
SOILS
WASTE MANAGEMENT