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Pentachlorophenol Reductive Dechlorination in an Interceptor Trench: Temperature Effects
Author(s) -
Cole Jason D.,
Woods Sandra L.,
Bricker Timothy R.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
groundwater
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.84
H-Index - 94
eISSN - 1745-6584
pISSN - 0017-467X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1745-6584.1996.tb02071.x
Subject(s) - pentachlorophenol , chemistry , effluent , biodegradation , chromatography , environmental chemistry , environmental engineering , environmental science , organic chemistry
Pentachlorophenol‐acclimated methanogenic consortia were incubated at temperatures of 5, 10, 21, and 31° C in physical models of an interceptor trench. Four identical 5.4 cm diameter brass columns packed with a uniform pea gravel were operated with a 2 day hydraulic retention time in a continuous upflow mode. The columns were fed 25 or 50 mg of acetate per liter, 0.32 or 4.0 μ M pentachlorophenol, and a dilute vitamin and nutrient mixture. In the columns operated at 31 and 21° C, pentachlorophenol was reductively dechlorinated at the ortho positions to form 2,3,4,5‐tetrachlorophenol and 3,4,5‐trichlorophenol. 3,4,5‐Trichlorophenol was the sole degradation product observed in the effluent. The lag period prior to pentachlorophenol biotransformation increased with decreasing temperature. At 31° C, a lag of 72 hours was observed; at 21° C the lag was 120 hours; and at 10° C the lag was 744 hours. No biodegradation of pentachlorophenol was observed at 5° C within an 888 hour period. Conversion of pentachlorophenol to 3,4,5‐trichlorophenol was complete within the first 7.6 cm of the column at 31 and 21° C. Loss of 90% of the pentachlorophenol was observed over the 30 cm column at 10° C. An interceptor trench inoculated with a temperature‐ and pentachlorophenol‐acclimated methanogenic consortia has the potential to anaerobically biotransform pentachlorophenol at temperatures as low as 10° C.