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Title: Utilization of stable carbon isotope in the verification of bioremediation of chlorinated hydrocarbons. Final report, July--December 1995

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:350583

The overall goal of this work was to test the feasibility of using stable carbon isotope analysis to verify in situ biodegradation of hydrocarbons and chlorinated ethenes under aerobic conditions. Specific objectives were to (1) determine d{sup 13}C values for TCE and the various compounds to be used as co- substrates for TCE degradation; (2) evaluate effects of aerobic biodegradation of co-substrate compounds and TCE on gross fractionation of carbon isotopes as measured in the resulting CO{sub 2}; (3) test the carbon isotope method for its ability to differentiate the source of the CO{sub 2} resulting from aerobic biodegradation; and (4) use samples from an appropriately contaminated bioventing site. Different degrees of fractionation were measured in both pure and mixed cultures for the different compounds tested in this study. Fractionation for toluene was slightly more negative than the starting compound. For JP-4, the fractionation of JP-4 resulted in d{sup 13}C values much more negative than the starting compound. Fractionation for TCE results in d{sup 13}C values more positive, indicating the CO{sub 2} had a higher percentage of {sup 13}C than the source compound. A mixture of toluene and TCE had a d{sup 13}C value intermediate between the two. These results indicate, with the d{sup 13}C values for these co-substrates and chlorinated ethenes sufficiently different, the degradation of one or the other can be determined. When both are being degraded an intermediate value can be obtained.

Research Organization:
Envirogen, Inc., Lawrenceville, NJ (United States)
OSTI ID:
350583
Report Number(s):
AD-A-359310/XAB; CNN: Contract F08637-95-C-6024; TRN: 91170507
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: Oct 1996
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English