Microbial treatment of contaminant mixture of chlorinated solvent, aromatic compounds and chromate under anaerobic environments

Journal Article · Tue Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1996 · National Meeting - American Chemical Society, Division of Environmental Chemistry

OSTI ID:437319

Shen, H; Sewell, G W ^[1]; Pritchard, P H ^[2]

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1. National Risk Management Research Lab., Ada, OK (United States)
2. National Health and Environment Exposure Research Lab., Gulf Breeze, FL (United States)

Chlorinated ethylenes and chromium contamination of the subsurface is a common environmental problem due to their wide spread use in industry, and improper disposal practices or accidental releases. Aromatic compounds, among the most industrial contaminants of ground water, are often mixed together with chlorinated solvents and metals including chromate in polluted sites. A cost-effective method is needed for remediation of soil and ground water contaminated with these toxicants. One promising approach may use native bacteria to reductively transform chromate and chlorinated ethylenes. This process reduces the toxic chromate to the less soluble and less toxic trivalent chromium. Although this process leaves the metal in the subsurface, it decreases both the hazard and exposure, and thus the risk to human health associated with chromium. The microorganisms are capable of removing one or more chlorines from the chlorinated compounds under anaerobic environments, and eventually transforming them to ethylene, an environmentally accepted compounds. The use of microorganisms for degradation of aromatic contaminants is also an extensively used method to remediate the contamination. Therefore, one possible approach may link the bacteria catalyzed oxidation of aromatic compounds to the microbial chromate reduction or solvent dechlorination. Microcosm tests will be presented in this study to show the feasibility of the microbial approach for the concurrent detoxification of multiple contaminants.

• OSTI ID: 437319
• Report Number(s): CONF-960807--
• Journal Information: National Meeting - American Chemical Society, Division of Environmental Chemistry, Journal Name: National Meeting - American Chemical Society, Division of Environmental Chemistry Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 36; ISSN NMACDY; ISSN 0270-3009
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
55 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
BASIC STUDIES
AROMATICS
BACTERIA
BIODEGRADATION
CHROMATES
DECHLORINATION
DETOXIFICATION
GROUND WATER
METALS
REDUCTION
REMEDIAL ACTION
SOILS