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Stimulation of aerobic degradation of chlorinated ethenes in soil by microbial inoculation
Author(s) -
Balba Talaat,
Dore Sophia,
Pope Donald,
Smith Jennifer,
Weston Alan
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
remediation journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.762
H-Index - 27
eISSN - 1520-6831
pISSN - 1051-5658
DOI - 10.1002/rem.20161
Subject(s) - microcosm , biodegradation , environmental chemistry , nutrient , reductive dechlorination , chemistry , trichloroethylene , bioaugmentation , degradation (telecommunications) , cometabolism , bioremediation , microorganism , contamination , amendment , soil contamination , soil water , environmental engineering , ecology , environmental science , bacteria , biology , organic chemistry , political science , telecommunications , genetics , computer science , law
Degradation of chlorinated ethenes under aerobic conditions has been reported using a cometabolic pathway. A site in Illinois had shallow contamination and sandy soils, which in combination created aerobic conditions. The aerobic conditions prevented the degradation of chlorinated ethenes by reductive dechlorination. Biodegradation of chloroethenes under aerobic conditions does not occur naturally at all sites; however, it can be enhanced if microorganisms capable of cometabolic degradation are introduced into the soil. In this study, trichloroethene (TCE) removal in the soil was enhanced by the injection of a commercially available microbial inoculum (CL‐OUT® inoculum, CL‐Solutions, Cincinnati, OH) and nutrients and was compared to chlorinated ethene removal in soil that had received nutrients only and soil that had received activated sludge and nutrients. Trichloroethene removal was measured after one week, seven weeks, and eleven weeks. After one week, no significant TCE removal had occurred in any of the test microcosms. After seven weeks, a slight decrease in TCE levels accompanied by an increase in cis ‐1,2‐dichloroethene ( cis ‐1,2‐DCE) was seen in the microcosms that had received CL‐OUT®. After 11 weeks, a marked decrease in TCE levels was observed in the microcosms that had received CL‐OUT®. No significant TCE decrease was observed in any of the other microcosms. These data suggest that organisms capable of aerobic TCE degradation were not present at the site; however, the addition of an inoculum containing such organisms enabled aerobic degradation to occur. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.