Reductive dechlorination of chlorinated ethene DNAPLs by a culture enriched from contaminated groundwater

Journal Article · Wed Jan 20 04:00:00 EST 1999 · Biotechnology and Bioengineering

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1097-0290(19990120)62:2<160::AID-BIT5>3.0.CO;2-4· OSTI ID:318847

Nielsen, R B; Keasling, J D ^[1]

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1. Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States). Dept. of Chemical Engineering

A microbial culture enriched from a trichloroethene-contaminated groundwater aquifer reductively dechlorinated trichloroethene (TCE) and tetrachloroethene (PCE) to ethene. Initial PCE dechlorination rate studies indicated a first-order dependence with respect to substrate at low PCE concentrations, and a zero-order dependence at high concentrations. Studies of TCE and vinyl chloride (VC) dechlorination indicated a first-order dependence at all substrate concentrations. VC had little or no effect on the initial rate of TCE dechlorination. With subsaturating concentrations of chlorinated ethenes, nearly stoichiometric amounts of the toxic intermediate vinyl chloride accumulated prior to its dechlorination to ethene. In contrast, under saturating conditions, in which a dense, nonaqueous-phase liquid existed in equilibrium with the aqueous phase, the chlorinated ethene was dechlorinated to ethene, at a rapid rate, with the accumulation of relatively small amounts of chlorinated intermediates.

• Sponsoring Organization: California Univ., Berkeley, CA (United States); Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (United States)
• OSTI ID: 318847
• Journal Information: Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Journal Name: Biotechnology and Bioengineering Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 62; ISSN BIBIAU; ISSN 0006-3592
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AQUIFERS
BIODEGRADATION
CHLORINATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
DECHLORINATION
GROUND WATER
VINYL CHLORIDE