Bioremediation of subsurface sediment and groundwater contaminated with pyridine and pyridine derivatives
The presence of toxic organic chemicals such as pyridine and its alkyl derivatives, found in groundwater as a consequence of industrial activities, present a direct hazard to human health and to the environment. The toxicity of these compounds, their teratogenic properties, and their irritating odor require urgent remediation. Physical, chemical, and biological treatments are commonly applied for the removal of organic pollutants from groundwater. In this investigation, the potential of a biological treatment was evaluated for the clean-up of subsurface and groundwater contaminated with pyridine and its alkyl derivatives. A pyridine-degrading denitrifying bacterium, an Alcaligenes sp., isolated from a polluted aquifer, successfully mineralized pyridine in the subsurface sediment under anaerobic conditions. Moreover, the isolated bacterium was much more effective, when compared to chemical treatment (Fenton's reagent), in mineralizing pyridine in the groundwater and subsurface sediments. In contrast to pyridine, alkylpyridines were not degraded under anaerobic conditions. However, under aerobic conditions indigenous bacteria were able to degrade all investigated contaminants. Thus, oxygen was the limiting factor for biodegradation of alkylpyridines. Degradation of these compounds also occurred in soil columns. In addition, a mixed culture capable of degrading 14 different alkylpyridine isomers was selected from the sediment and appeared to be very effective in removing pollutants from groundwater. Characterization of the different bacteria showed that all strains were gram-negative rods. The above findings suggest that bioremediation of pyridine-contaminated groundwater is feasible. Bioremediation may be in situ using either inoculation of the subsurface with pyridine-degrading bacteria or stimulation of native microorganisms.
- Research Organization:
- Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 6028468
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AEROBIC CONDITIONS
AMINES
AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS
AZINES
BACTERIA
BIODEGRADATION
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CONTAMINATION
DECOMPOSITION
GROUND WATER
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
MICROORGANISMS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTANTS
PYRIDINE
PYRIDINES
PYRIDINIUM COMPOUNDS
QUATERNARY COMPOUNDS
SEDIMENTS
TOXICITY
WATER