Immunological techniques as tools to characterize the subsurface microbial community at a trichloroethylene contaminated site

Conference · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1992

OSTI ID:6727030

Fliermans, C B; Dougherty, J M; Franck, M M; McKinzey, P C; Hazen, T C

Effective in situ bioremediation strategies require an understanding of the effects pollutants and remediation techniques have on subsurface microbial communities. Therefore, detailed characterization of a site's microbial communities is important. Subsurface sediment borings and water samples were collected from a trichloroethylene (TCE) contaminated site, before and after horizontal well in situ air stripping and bioventing, as well as during methane injection for stimulation of methane-utilizing microorganisms. Subsamples were processed for heterotrophic plate counts, acridine orange direct counts (AODC), community diversity, direct fluorescent antibodies (DFA) enumeration for several nitrogen-transforming bacteria, and Biolog [reg sign] evaluation of enzyme activity in collected water samples. Plate counts were higher in near-surface depths than in the vadose zone sediment samples. During the in situ air stripping and bioventing, counts increased at or near the saturated zone, remained elevated throughout the aquifer, but did not change significantly after the air stripping. Sporadic increases in plate counts at different depths as well as increased diversity appeared to be linked to differing lithologies. AODCs were orders of magnitude higher than plate counts and remained relatively constant with depth except for slight increases near the surface depths and the capillary fringe. Nitrogen-transforming bacteria, as measured by serospecific DFA, were greatly affected both by the in situ air stripping and the methane injection. Biolog[reg sign] activity appeared to increase with subsurface stimulation both by air and methane. The complexity of subsurface systems makes the use of selective monitoring tools imperative.

• Research Organization: Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC09-89SR18035
• OSTI ID: 6727030
• Report Number(s): WSRC-MS-92-459; CONF-930482--2; ON: DE93007443
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540220* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
550700 -- Microbiology
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ALKANES
BACTERIA
BIOASSAY
BIODEGRADATION
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHLORINATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
DECOMPOSITION
ENZYME IMMUNOASSAY
GROUND WATER
HALOGENATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
IMMUNOASSAY
METHANE
MICROORGANISMS
NITROGEN FIXATION
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLUMES
REMEDIAL ACTION
SEDIMENTS
WATER