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Bioremediation of PCP‐contaminated soil: Bench to full‐scale implementation
Author(s) -
Mahaffey William R.,
Sanford Robert A.
Publication year - 1991
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.3440010306
Subject(s) - pentachlorophenol , bioremediation , effluent , chemistry , dilution , environmental chemistry , mineralization (soil science) , contamination , biodegradation , pesticide , microbial consortium , pulp and paper industry , hazardous waste , environmental science , waste management , environmental engineering , microorganism , ecology , biology , organic chemistry , physics , genetics , bacteria , nitrogen , engineering , thermodynamics
Abstract Pentachlorophenol (PCP) is a widely used wood treatment agent and pesticide that is often listed among the contaminants at hazardous waste sites. Bench‐scale studies were performed to develop a microbial culture and biodegradative process that could treat PCP at higher concentrations than previously reported. Several substrate formulations and culture techniques were evaluated. Ultimately a “self‐feeding” (pH auxostat) continuous culture system (pH auxostat) was used to select for biodegradative activity with PCP as the carbon and energy source. After a period of 50 days, influent PCP concentrations reached 3,500 mg/liter at a dilution rate of 0.066 H −1 . Of the total theoretical chloride that could be released from PCP, 99% was detected as free chloride in the reactor effluent. PCP analysis of the effluent verified complete degradation by the microbial consortium. The reactor was converted to a constant PCP feed. At steady state conditions, the dilution rate was 0.05 H −1 with an influent PCP concentration of 2,560 mg/liter and a biomass yield of 018 mg (dry weight) per mg of PCP. Mineralization studies performed with the microbial consortium using [U‐14C1]‐PCP indicated that 36.5% of the label was released as 14C‐carbon dioxide.