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Biotransformation of chlorinated aliphatic solvents in the presence of aromatic compounds under methanogenic conditions

Journal Article · · Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry; (United States)
;  [1]
  1. Stanford Univ., CA (United States). Dept. of Civil Engineering

Transformation of carbon tetrachloride (CT) and tetrachloroethylene (PCE) was studied under methanogenic conditions, in the presence or absence of toluene, ethylbenzene, phenol, and benzoate. Microbial inoculate for the experiments were derived from three groundwater aquifers contaminated by jet fuel or creosote. CT and PCE were reductively dechlorinated in all the examined castes (CT to chloroform [CF]; PCE to trichloroethylene [TCE], trans-1,2-dichloroethylene [DCE], and vinyl chloride [VC]). In the aquifer microcosms, the electron donors used for the reductive transformations were most likely the unidentified organic compounds present on aquifer solids, or storage materials in microorganisms. Alternatively, molecular hydrogen from the anaerobic incubator atmosphere could have been used. The addition of benzoate caused a decrease in rates of dechlorination if benzoate was transformed. Phenol and ethylbenzene were not degraded and did not influence the transformation of CT or PCE. Toluene, in most of the studied cases, had no influence on reductive dechlorination of either CT or PCE. Only in microcosms derived from a JP-4 jet fuel-contaminated aquifer did the anaerobic degradation of toluene occur simultaneously with reductive dechlorination of PCE, suggesting that toluene might possibly have been used as an electron donor for reductive transformation of chlorinated solvents.

OSTI ID:
7078037
Journal Information:
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry; (United States), Journal Name: Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry; (United States) Vol. 12:8; ISSN ETOCDK; ISSN 0730-7268
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English