有机污染物湿地生物降解实验规律研究

本文以苯、甲苯和萘为对象 ,通过实验研究 ,测定有机污染物的土壤 水吸附平衡过程、在水溶液中生物降解过程以及在湿地系统 (即土壤 水 微生物系统 )中生物降解过程 ,并以质量守恒定律为基础 ,建立有机污染物湿地生物降解过程综合数学模型 ;数学模型通过实验验证。利用模型 ,定量预测了污染物生物降解所需的时间和程度 ,并提出动力学因子FK,判断污染物湿地生物降解速度的控制因素 ,定量预测了污染物在土壤固相的浓度分布规律     

Application of a luminescence-based biosensor for assessing naphthalene biodegradation in soils from a manufactured gas plant

Despite numerous reviews suggesting that microbial biosensors could be used in many environmental applications, in reality they have failed to be used for which they were designed. In part this is because most of these sensors perform in an aqueous phase and a buffered medium, which is in contrast to the nature of genuine environmental systems. In this study, a range of non-exhaustive extraction techniques (NEETs) were assessed for (i) compatibility with a naphthalene responsive biosensor and (ii) correlation with naphthalene biodegradation. The NEETs removed a portion of the total soil naphthalene in the order of methanol > HPCD > βCD > water. To place the biosensor performance to NEETs in context, a biodegradation experiment was carried out using historically contaminated soils. By coupling the HPCD extraction with the biosensor, it was possible to assess the fraction of the naphthalene capable of undergoing microbial degradation in soil.     

Reactive transport modeling of processes controlling the distribution and natural attenuation of phenolic compounds in a deep sandstone aquifer

Reactive solute transport modeling was utilized to evaluate the potential for natural attenuation of a contaminant plume containing phenolic compounds at a chemical producer in the West Midlands, UK. The reactive transport simulations consider microbially mediated biodegradation of the phenolic compounds (phenols, cresols, and xylenols) by multiple electron acceptors. Inorganic reactions including hydrolysis, aqueous complexation, dissolution of primary minerals, formation of secondary mineral phases, and ion exchange are considered. One-dimensional (1D) and three-dimensional (3D) simulations were conducted. Mass balance calculations indicate that biodegradation in the saturated zone has degraded approximately 1-5% of the organic contaminant plume over a time period of 47 years. Simulations indicate that denitrification is the most significant degradation process, accounting for approximately 50% of the organic contaminant removal, followed by sulfate reduction and fermentation reactions, each contributing 15-20%. Aerobic respiration accounts for less than 10% of the observed contaminant removal in the saturated zone. Although concentrations of Fe(III) and Mn(IV) mineral phases are high in the aquifer sediment, reductive dissolution is limited, producing only 5% of the observed mass loss. Mass balance calculations suggest that no more than 20-25% of the observed total inorganic carbon (TIC) was generated from biodegradation reactions in the saturated zone. Simulations indicate that aerobic biodegradation in the unsaturated zone, before the contaminant entered the aquifer, may have produced the majority of the TIC observed in the plume. Because long-term degradation is limited to processes within the saturated zone, use of observed TIC concentrations to predict the future natural attenuation may overestimate contaminant degradation by a factor of 4-5.     

Sustainable oil and grease removal from synthetic stormwater runoff using bench-scale bioretention studies.

One of the principal components of the contaminant load in urban stormwater runoff is oil and grease (O&G) pollution, resulting from vehicle emissions. A mulch layer was used as a contaminant trap to remove O&G (dissolved and particulate-associated naphthalene, dissolved toluene, and dissolved motor oil hydrocarbons) from a synthetic runoff during a bench-scale infiltration study. Approximately 80 to 95% removal of all contaminants from synthetic runoff was found via sorption and filtration. Subsequently, approximately 90% of the sorbed naphthalene, toluene, oil, and particulate-associated naphthalene was biodegraded within approximately 3, 4, 8, and 2 days after the event, respectively, based on decreases in contaminant concentrations coupled with increases of microbial populations. These results indicate the effectiveness and sustainability of placing a thin layer of mulch on the surface of a bioretention facility for reducing O&G pollution from urban stormwater runoff.     

Formation of bound residues by naphthalene and cis-naphthalene-1,2-dihydrodiol

The formation of bound residues by naphthalene and its metabolite, cis-naphthalene-1,2-dihydrodiol, in a sediment (1% OC), a silty loam soil (2.9% OC) and a peat (26% OC) was examined. The experiments were carried out under both sterile and nonsterile conditions for up to 35 days. The samples containing bound contaminant were hydrolyzed at an alkaline pH and fractionated using 3,000 and 500 Da molecular weight cutoff ultrafiltration membranes in series. The results for all the geosorbents examined showed that bound residue formation is low for naphthalene and between 5 and 20 times higher for the metabolite. The amount of bound residues released by hydrolysis was higher for the metabolite than for the parent compound for all the samples. The molecular weight distribution of bound radioactivity after hydrolysis showed binding to the high molecular weight components of the sediment organic matter and to the low molecular weight components for soil and peat organic matter when incubated with cis-naphthalene-1,2-dihydrodiol. Experiments performed with naphthalene-UL-(14)C showed larger amounts of bound residue found than in experiments with naphthalene-1-(14)C.     

Modeling and interpreting bioavailability of organic contaminant mixtures in subsurface environments

Bioavailability often controls the fate of organic contaminants in surface and subsurface aquatic environments. Bioavailability can be limited by sorption, mass transfer, and intrinsic biodegradation potential and can be further altered by the presence of other compounds. This paper reviews current perspectives on the processes influencing subsurface contaminant bioavailability, how these processes are modeled, and how the relative role of the various processes can be assessed through bioavailability indices. Although these processes are increasingly well understood, the use of sophisticated models and indices often are precluded by an inability to estimate the many parameters that are associated with complex models. Nonetheless, the proper representation of sorption, mass transfer, biodegradation, and co-solute effects can be critical in predicting bio-attenuation. The influence of these processes on contaminant fate is illustrated with numerical simulations for the simultaneous degradation of toluene (growth substrate) and trichloroethylene (nongrowth cometabolite) in hypothetical, aerobic, solid-water systems. The results show how the relative impacts on contaminant fate of the model's various component processes depends upon system conditions, including co-solute concentrations. Slow biodegradation rates increase the inhibition effects of a cometabolite and suppress the rate enhancement effects of a growth substrate. Irrespective of co-solute effects, contaminant fate is less sensitive to biodegradation processes in systems with strong sorption and slow desorption rates. Bioavailability indices can be used to relate these findings and to help identify appropriate modeling simplifications. In general, however, there remains a need to redefine such indices in order that bioavailability concepts can be better incorporated into site characterization, remediation design, and regulatory oversight.     

Evidence for in situ degradation of mono-and polyaromatic hydrocarbons in alluvial sediments based on microcosm experiments with 13C-labeled contaminants

A microcosm study was conducted to investigate the degradation of mono- and polyaromatic hydrocarbons under in situ-like conditions using alluvial sediments from the site of a former cokery. Benzene, naphthalene, or acenaphthene were added to the sediments as (13)C-labeled substrates. Based on the evolution of (13)C-CO(2) determined by gas chromatography isotope-ratio mass spectrometry (GC-IRMS) it was possible to prove mineralization of the compound of interest in the presence of other unknown organic substances of the sediment material. This new approach was suitable to give evidence for the intrinsic biodegradation of benzene, naphthalene, and acenaphthene under oxic and also under anoxic conditions, due to the high sensitivity and reproducibility of (13)C/(12)C stable isotope analysis. This semi-quantitative method can be used to screen for biodegradation of any slowly degrading, strongly sorbing compound in long-term experiments.     

Quantifying MTBE biodegradation in the Vandenberg Air Force Base ethanol release study using stable carbon isotopes

Compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) was used to assess biodegradation of MTBE and TBA during an ethanol release study at Vandenberg Air Force Base. Two continuous side-by-side field releases were conducted within a preexisting MTBE plume to form two lanes. The first involved the continuous injection of site groundwater amended with benzene, toluene and o-xylene ("No ethanol lane"), while the other involved the continuous injection of site groundwater amended with benzene, toluene and o-xylene and ethanol ("With ethanol lane"). The delta(13)C of MTBE for all wells in the "No ethanol lane" remained constant during the experiment with a mean value of -31.3 +/- 0.5 per thousand (n=40), suggesting the absence of any substantial MTBE biodegradation in this lane. In contrast, substantial enrichment in (13)C of MTBE by 40.6 per thousand, was measured in the "With ethanol lane", consistent with the effects of biodegradation. A substantial amount of TBA (up to 1200 microg/L) was produced by the biodegradation of MTBE in the "With ethanol lane". The mean value of delta(13)C for TBA in groundwater samples in the "With ethanol lane" was -26.0 +/- 1.0 per thousand (n=32). Uniform delta(13)C TBA values through space and time in this lane suggest that substantial anaerobic biodegradation of TBA did not occur during the experiment. Using the reported range in isotopic enrichment factors for MTBE of -9.2 per thousand to -15.6 per thousand, and values of delta(13)C of MTBE in groundwater samples, MTBE first-order biodegradation rates in the "With ethanol lane" were 12.0 to 20.3 year(-1) (n=18). The isotope-derived rate constants are in good agreement with the previously published rate constant of 16.8 year(-1) calculated using contaminant mass-discharge for the "With ethanol lane".     

Partitioning of naphthalene to gemini surfactant-treated alumina

Partitioning of naphthalene to anionic surfactants adsorbed on alumina in the aqueous phase was studied for immobilization of the contaminant in the subsurface. Three anionic surfactants with different molecular structures were used: a conventional (sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate, SDDBS), a gemini (dialkylated disulfonated diphenyl oxide with alkyl chain length of 12, DADS-C12), and a dianionic (monoalkylated disulfonated diphenyl oxide with alkyl chain length of 12, MADS-C12). Sorption of the surfactants onto alumina was studied in a series of batch experiments and the effectiveness of the adsorbed surfactants onto aluminum oxide as a sorptive phase for naphthalene was compared.     

Mathematical analysis of the whole core injection method accuracy for measuring phenanthrene biodegradation rates in undisturbed marine sediments

Rates of 14C-phenanthrene mineralization in contaminated, undisturbed marine sediments were measured using the whole core injection method to assess microbial natural attenuation activity as a function of sediment depth. Submerged sediments were sampled from Eagle Harbor, a marine superfund site in Puget Sound. Experiments show significant biodegradation activities (0.0012-0.0036 day(-1)) in the sediment horizons from 0 to 10 cm. The purpose and scope of this paper is to evaluate the range of experimental conditions giving valid results; a mathematical simulation described competing contaminant 14C-phenanthrene diffusion and simultaneous biodegradation (Monod kinetics), both retarded by sorption. The effect of aging was examined with two sorption models in presumed pseudo-homogenous sediments having effective properties. The simulation predictions provide quantitative guidelines for the successful use of the whole core injection method. (1) The effective Monod constant KS' in sediment is increased by a large partition coefficient KP between sediment and water and makes the apparent 14C-phenanthrene biodegradation approach first-order kinetics. (2) When KS'>1 mg(-1) l(-1), the measured 14C-phenanthrene biodegradation extent is biased by inadequately distributed injected tracer only when less than 7% of the sediment horizon is initially probed and mixed with injected tracer. (3) A short incubation time (<20 days) is necessary when a mobile indicator, e.g., gaseous 14CO2, is used. For longer incubation times, predictions show that a 14CO2 indicator diffuses to adjacent horizons, thus smearing the depth profile of biodegradation. (4) This method employing a radiolabeled tracer provides accurate biodegradation rates for freshly contaminated sediments, and represents an upper limit to the natural phenanthrene biodegradation extents if the contaminant is aged over 50 days.     

Natural attenuation of trichloroethylene in fractured shale bedrock

This paper describes one of the first well-documented field examples of natural attenuation of trichloroethylene (TCE) in groundwater in a fractured shale bedrock. The study was carried out adjacent to a former waste burial site in Waste Area Grouping 5 (WAG5) on the Oak Ridge Reservation, Oak Ridge, TN. A contaminant plume containing TCE and its daughter products were detected downgradient from the buried waste pits, with most of the contamination occurring in the upper 6 m of the bedrock. The monitoring well array consists of a 35-m-long transect of multilevel sampling wells, situated along a line between the waste pits and a seep which discharges into a small stream. Concentrations of volatile organic carbons (VOCs) were highest in the waste trenches and decreased with distance downgradient towards the seep. Sampling wells indicated the presence of overlapping plumes of TCE, cis-dichloroethylene (cDCE), vinyl chloride (VC), ethylene, ethane, and methane, with the daughter products extending further downgradient than the parent (TCE). This type of distribution suggests anaerobic biodegradation. Measurements of redox potential at the site indicated that iron-reduction, sulfate reduction, and potentially methanogensis were occurring and are conducive to dechlorination of TCE. Bacteria enrichment of groundwater samples revealed the presence of methanotrophs, methanogens, iron-reducing bacteria and sulfate-reducing bacteria, all of which have previously been implicated in anaerobic biodegradation of TCE. 16S rDNA sequence from DNA extracted from two wells were similar to sequences of organisms previously implicated in the anaerobic biodegradation of chlorinated solvents. The combined data strongly suggest that anaerobic biodegradation of the highly chlorinated compounds is occurring. Aerobic biodegradation may also be occurring in oxygenated zones, including near a seep where groundwater exits the site, or in the upper bedrock during seasonal fluctuations in water table elevation and oxygen levels.     

Fungal biodegradation of naphthalene: microcosms studies

The present work is aimed to ascertain naphthalene biodegradation capability of P. chrysosporium and T. harzianum in soil microcosms. Considering the high naphthalene volatility, a suitable soil microcosm was set-up and used. Several degradation tests were conducted with different C/N ratio media for the two fungi in order to enquire the best range of working conditions. The kinetic studies were conducted at a maximal naphthalene concentration of 600 mg kg(-1). During experimental time course naphthalene concentration, CO2 evolution as well as phytotoxicity tests were performed as monitoring parameters. The results shown in the current paper, put in evidence that T. harzianum, differently than in liquid culture, is not able to biodegrade naphthalene directly in soil microcosm, while P. chrysosporium in the same conditions biodegrades the PAH till about 600 mg kg(-1). As concern the founded kinetics for P. chrysosporium, a saturation shape in presence of N-limited medium (high C/N ratio) was evaluated while a growing form more than linear in no-N limited medium (normal C/N ratio) was determined.     

Biodegradation of PAHs in soil: Influence of chemical structure, concentration and multiple amendment

The influence of PAH chemical structure and concentration, added in either single (75 or 300 mg kg⁻¹) or multiple (2 × 75, 2 × 150 or 4 × 75 mg kg⁻¹) applications as single- or multiple-contaminant systems, on the development of PAH biodegradation in a pristine soil was investigated. Development in microbial catabolic ability was assessed at 0, 28, 56 and 84 d by monitoring ¹⁴C-naphthalene, ¹⁴C-phenanthrene and ¹⁴C-pyrene mineralisation over 14 d in respirometric assays. The presence of other contaminants influenced the ability of the indigenous microflora to mineralise structurally different contaminants over time. ¹⁴C-Naphthalene mineralisation was inhibited by the presence of other contaminants; whereas the presence of naphthalene significantly enhanced rates of mineralisation in multiple-contaminant systems containing ¹⁴C-phenanthrene and ¹⁴C-pyrene. Generally, increasing the number of contaminant applications has implications for catabolic activity of soil microbes. It is suggested the toxic nature of PAHs retarded mineralisation at increased contaminant concentrations.     

纺锤芽孢杆菌(Bacillus fusiformis)降解萘的特性及动力学

在前期研究中发现,纺锤芽孢杆菌(Bacillus fusiformis,BFN)可以用于降解水溶液的萘,为了解其降解过程,发现BFN菌生长量随着溶液中的萘的含量增加而提高。其中,萘的含量分别是30、50、100和200 mg/L时,BFN的生物量OD600值分别为0.057、0.081、0.126和0.193;降解培养基溶液COD的去除率分别为59.4%、65.3%、69.2%和70.6%,说明BFN菌在生长的过程中利用萘作为碳源。同时,动力学拟合发现,对不同含量萘的降解过程都符合一级降解动力学方程,且BFN菌的生长过程满足逻辑斯蒂方程。扫描电镜图表明,BFN菌在萘的存在下生长得更好。紫外光谱显示波长为276 nm的萘的吸收峰在降解后下降很多。红外光谱数据则表明,降解液中有2组新的吸收峰出现:一组出现在2 878、2 930和2 968 cm-1处,说明在萘的降解过程中有新的羧酸类生成;另一组出现在3 438、3 667和3 731 cm-1处有新的酚类物质生成。     

Eichhornia crassipes capability to remove naphthalene from wastewater in the absence of bacteria

The aim of the current study was to investigate the potential of an aquatic plant, the water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) devoid rhizospheric bacteria, to reduce naphthalene (a polyaromatic hydrocarbon) present in wastewater and wetlands.The capability of sterile water hyacinth plants to remove naphthalene from water and wastewater was studied in batch systems. Water hyacinths enhance the removal of pollutants through their consumption as nutrients and also through microbial activity of their rhizospheric bacteria.Experimental kinetics of naphthalene removal by water hyacinth coupled with natural rhizospheric bacteria was 100% after 9 d. Plants, decoupled of rhizospheric bacteria, reduced naphthalene concentration up to 45% during 7 d. Additionally, naphthalene uptake by water hyacinth revealed a biphasic behavior: a rapid first phase completed after 2.5 h, and a second, considerably slower rate, phase (2.5-225 h). In conclusion, water hyacinth devoid rhizospheric bacteria reduced significantly naphthalene concentration in water, revealing a considerable plant contribution in the biodegradation process of this pollutant.     

Anaerobic degradation of naphthalene in a fluvial aquifer: a radiotracer study

A radiotracer study was conducted in a creosote-contaminated aquifer beneath the Fraser River, British Columbia Canada to investigate the in situ degradation of naphthalene. The groundwater is anaerobic, with abundant methane, ferrous iron and carbon dioxide. This study followed earlier work at the site where the contaminant distribution could only be explained by invoking a mass loss through degradation, even though extensive field and laboratory microcosm studies closer to the source zone onshore could not confirm degradation. Accordingly, 14C-naphthalene was injected into the aquifer offshore, further from the source zone where modeling suggested degradation was occurring. During the 230-day monitoring period, 14CO2 was detected, confirming the degradation of the radio-labeled naphthalene tracer. A zero-order degradation rate of naphthalene of 5 microg/L-day was estimated based on the decrease in 14C-naphthalene concentration with time. While the degradation pathway could not be determined from the radiotracer study alone, the geochemistry of the site suggests that either iron reduction or methanogenesis is the terminal electron accepting processes responsible for naphthalene oxidation.     

Strength development of solidified/stabilized organic waste and optimum treatment design

Artificially contaminated (spiked) natural soils were solidified/stabilized using various combinations of commonly used additives, such as lime, cement, fly ash, activated carbon, and silica fume. The effectiveness of the solidification/stabilization (S/S) processes was evaluated based on experimental findings from compaction testing, unconfined compressive shear strength, and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Correlations of limited reliability between unconfined compressive strength and penetrometer and torvane measurements were derived. Results from XRD experiments indicated that certain organic contaminants (i.e., naphthalene and pyrene) might impact the S/S processes for a given combination of additives. The type and amount of organic contaminants also affected the pozzolanic reactions. Specifically, the absence or small peak intensity of pozzolanic product XRD patterns for a given combination of additives was a good indication that the type and the amount of organic contaminant present inhibited pozzolanic reactions. This phenomenon was tested and confirmed for actual field-contaminated samples.     

Impact of microbial activity on the hydraulic properties of fractured chalk

The impact of microbial activity on fractured chalk transmissivity was investigated on a laboratory scale. Long-term experiments were conducted on six fractured chalk cores (20 cm diameter, 23-44 cm long) containing a single natural fracture embedded in a porous matrix. Biodegradation experiments were conducted under various conditions, including several substrate and oxygen concentrations and flow rates. 2,4,6-Tribromophenol (TBP) was used as a model contaminant (substrate). TBP biodegradation efficiency depended mainly on the amount of oxygen. However, under constant oxygen concentration at the core inlet, elevating the flow rates increased the removal rate of TBP. Transmissivity reduction was clearly related to TBP removal rate, following an initial slow decline and a further sharp decrease with time. The fracture's transmissivity was reduced by as much as 97% relative to the initial value, with no leveling off of the clogging process. For the most extreme cases, reductions of 262 and 157 microm in the equivalent hydraulic apertures were recorded for fractures with initial apertures of 495 and 207 microm, respectively. The reductions in fracture transmissivity occurred primarily because of clogging by bacterial cells and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) produced by the bacteria. Most of the biodegradation activity was concentrated near the fracture inlet, where the most suitable biodegradation conditions (nutrients and oxygen) prevailed, suggesting that the clogging had occurred in that vicinity. The clogging must have changed the structure of the fracture void, thereby reducing the active volume participating in flow and transport processes. This phenomenon caused accelerated transport of non-reactive tracers and doubled the fracture's dispersivity under constant flow rates.     

TOL plasmid transfer during bacterial conjugation in vitro and rhizoremediation of oil compounds in vivo

Molecular profiling methods for horizontal transfer of aromatics-degrading plasmids were developed and applied during rhizoremediation in vivo and conjugations in vitro. pWW0 was conjugated from Pseudomonas to Rhizobium. The xylE gene was detected both in Rhizobium galegae bv. officinalis and bv. orientalis, but it was neither stably maintained in orientalis nor functional in officinalis. TOL plasmids were a major group of catabolic plasmids among the bacterial strains isolated from the oil-contaminated rhizosphere of Galega orientalis. A new finding was that some Pseudomonas migulae and Pseudomonas oryzihabitans strains harbored a TOL plasmid with both pWW0- and pDK1-type xylE gene. P. oryzihabitans 29 had received the archetypal TOL plasmid pWW0 from Pseudomonas putida PaW85. As an application for environmental biotechnology, the biodegradation potential of oil-polluted soil and the success of bioremediation could be estimated by monitoring changes not only in the type and amount but also in transfer of degradation plasmids.     

Biodegradation potential of MTBE in a fractured chalk aquifer under aerobic conditions in long-term uncontaminated and contaminated aquifer microcosms

The potential for aerobic biodegradation of MTBE in a fractured chalk aquifer is assessed in microcosm experiments over 450 days, under in situ conditions for a groundwater temperature of 10 °C, MTBE concentration between 0.1 and 1.0 mg/L and dissolved O₂ concentration between 2 and 10 mg/L. Following a lag period of up to 120 days, MTBE was biodegraded in uncontaminated aquifer microcosms at concentrations up to 1.2 mg/L, demonstrating that the aquifer has an intrinsic potential to biodegrade MTBE aerobically. The MTBE biodegradation rate increased three-fold from a mean of 6.6 ± 1.6 μg/L/day in uncontaminated aquifer microcosms for subsequent additions of MTBE, suggesting an increasing biodegradation capability, due to microbial cell growth and increased biomass after repeated exposure to MTBE. In contaminated aquifer microcosms which also contained TAME, MTBE biodegradation occurred after a shorter lag of 15 or 33 days and MTBE biodegradation rates were higher (max. 27.5 μg/L/day), probably resulting from an acclimated microbial population due to previous exposure to MTBE in situ. The initial MTBE concentration did not affect the lag period but the biodegradation rate increased with the initial MTBE concentration, indicating that there was no inhibition of MTBE biodegradation related to MTBE concentration up to 1.2 mg/L. No minimum substrate concentration for MTBE biodegradation was observed, indicating that in the presence of dissolved O₂ (and absence of inhibitory factors) MTBE biodegradation would occur in the aquifer at MTBE concentrations (ca. 0.1 mg/L) found at the front of the ether oxygenate plume. MTBE biodegradation occurred with concomitant O₂ consumption but no other electron acceptor utilisation, indicating biodegradation by aerobic processes only. However, O₂ consumption was less than the stoichiometric requirement for complete MTBE mineralization, suggesting that only partial biodegradation of MTBE to intermediate organic metabolites occurred. The availability of dissolved O₂ did not affect MTBE biodegradation significantly, with similar MTBE biodegradation behaviour and rates down to ca. 0.7 mg/L dissolved O₂ concentration. The results indicate that aerobic MTBE biodegradation could be significant in the plume fringe, during mixing of the contaminant plume and uncontaminated groundwater and that, relative to the plume migration, aerobic biodegradation is important for MTBE attenuation. Moreover, should the groundwater dissolved O₂ concentration fall to zero such that MTBE biodegradation was inhibited, an engineered approach to enhance in situ bioremediation could supply O₂ at relatively low levels (e.g. 2–3 mg/L) to effectively stimulate MTBE biodegradation, which has significant practical advantages. The study shows that aerobic MTBE biodegradation can occur at environmentally significant rates in this aquifer, and that long-term microcosm experiments (100s days) may be necessary to correctly interpret contaminant biodegradation potential in aquifers to support site management decisions.