Biodegradation of mixed-organic wastes by microbial consortia in continuous-recycle expanded-bed bioreactors

Journal Article · Thu Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1991 · Environmental Science and Technology; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/es00020a015· OSTI ID:5455328

Phelps, T J; Niedzielski, J J; Malachowsky, K J; Schram, R M ^[1]; Herbes, S E ^[2]; White, D C ^[3]

---

1. Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville (United States)
2. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)
3. Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville (United States) Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)

Microbial consortia enriched from subsurface sediments contaminated with chlorinated hydrocarbons proved capable of degrading mixed-organic wastes. Methane and/or propane as foodstock enabled aerobic mineralization of greater than 20 mg/l trichloroethylene (TCE) plus 1 mg/l vinyl chloride, benzene, and toluene in cell suspension or bioreactor experiments. The microbial consortia degraded 80-95% of TCE at 20 mg/l within 5 days in continuous-recycle expanded-bed bioreactors requiring 50-100 mol of foodstock/mol of TCE degraded. When the bioreactors were challenged with groundwaters contaminated with mixed-organic wastes, the microbial consortia degraded greater than 99% of the benzene, toluene, xylene, vinyl chloride, and nine chlorinated hydrocarbons, 85% of the TCE, and 60% of the tetrachloroethylene within 21 days, while requiring 80 {mu}mol of methane plus propane per micromole of mixed-organic waste degraded. The potential for bioremediation of groundwater contaminated with mixed-organic wastes was demonstrated in laboratory reactors.

• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 5455328
• Journal Information: Environmental Science and Technology; (United States), Journal Name: Environmental Science and Technology; (United States) Vol. 25:8; ISSN ESTHA; ISSN 0013-936X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540250* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (1990-)
560300 -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ALKYLATED AROMATICS
AROMATICS
BENZENE
BIODEGRADATION
BIOREACTORS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHLORINATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
CLEANING
DATA
DECOMPOSITION
DECONTAMINATION
DESIGN
DISPERSIONS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
GROUND WATER
HALOGENATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
MICROORGANISMS
MIXTURES
NUMERICAL DATA
OPERATION
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC WASTES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PERFORMANCE
SEDIMENTS
TOLUENE
VINYL CHLORIDE
WASTES
WATER
WATER RECLAMATION