Bioaugmentation of a soil bioreactor designed for pilot-scale anaerobic bioremediation studies
- Univ. Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgium). Unit of Bioengineering
- Univ. of Ghent (Belgium). Lab. of Microbial Ecology
- Univ. Catholique de Louvain (Belgium). Lab. of Microbial Genetics
The aim of this work was to answer the following questions: (i) can the authors realize a long-term dechlorination with a pure anaerobic strain in soil and (ii) can the authors monitor the process on an adequate scale with a controlled simulator of in situ conditions. The soil bioreactor was fed continuously with 3-chlorobenzonate (3-CB) as a model chloroaromatic compound. Bioaugmentation was carried out by inoculating Desulfomonile tiedjei in localized areas in the bioreactor. Temporal and spatial distribution of the 3-CB dechlorination activity was investigated with specific biological activity tests for approximately 4 months following the inoculation. These tests involved the minimally invasive sampling of geometrically distinct points in the reactor and their off-site handling within reconstructed microcosms, allowing the assessment of dechlorinating and methanogenic soil activities. Using autoclaved and nonautoclaved agricultural soil, the results showed a heterogeneous distribution of the dechlorination activity in the bioreactor. The autoclaved soil expressed a high microbial activity as reflected by biogas production and 3-CB dechlorination. Furthermore, durable establishment of D. tiedjei in both autoclaved and nonautoclaved soil was shown, although in the latter portion of the reactor the microorganism was maintained only at the top surface.
- OSTI ID:
- 696773
- Journal Information:
- Environmental Science and Technology, Vol. 33, Issue 17; Other Information: PBD: 1 Sep 1999
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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