Mixed contamination by organic and inorganic compounds in soil is a serious problem for remediation. Most laboratory studies and field-scale trials focused on individual contaminant in the past. For concurrent bioremediation by biodegradation and bioleaching processes, we tested metal-reducing microorganism, Geobacter metallireducens. In order to prove the feasibility of the coupled process, multiple-contaminated soil was prepared. Mineralogical analyses have shown the existence of labile forms of As(V) as amorphous and/or weakly sorbed phases in the secondary Fe oxides. In the biotic experiment using G. metallireducens, biodegradation of toluene and bioleaching of As by bacteria were observed simultaneously. Bacteria accelerated the degradation rate of toluene with reductive dissolution of Fe and co-dissolution of As. Although there have been many studies showing each individual process, we have shown here that the idea of concurrent microbial reaction is feasible. However, for the practical use as a remediation technology, more details and multilateral evaluations are required in future studies.
13C/12C stable carbon isotope fractionation was used to assess biodegradation in contaminated aquifers with toluene as a model compound. Different strains of anaerobic bacteria (Thauera aromatica, Geobacter metallireducens, and the sulfate-reducing strain TRM1) showed consistent 13C/12C carbon isotope fractionation with fractionation factors between C = 1.0017 and 1.0018. In contrast, three cultures of aerobic organisms, using different mono- and dioxygenase enzyme systems to initiate toluene degradation, showed variable isotope fractionation factors of C = 1.0027 (Pseudomonasputida strain mt-2), C = 1.0011 (Ralstonia picketii), andC = 1.0004 (Pseudomonas putida strain F1). The great variability of isotope fractionation between different aerobic bacterial strains suggests that interpretation of isotope data in oxic habitats can only be qualitative. A soil column was run as a model system for contaminated aquifers with toluene as the carbon source and sulfate as the electron acceptor and samples were taken at different ports along the column. Microbial toluene degradation was calculated based on the 13C/12C isotope fractionation factors of the batch culture experiments together with the observed 13C/12C isotope shifts of the residual toluene fractions. The calculated percentage of biodegradation, B, correlated well with the decreasing toluene concentrations at the sampling ports and indicated the increasing extent of biodegradation along the column. The theoretical toluene concentrations as calculated based on the isotope values matched the measured concentrations at the different sampling ports indicating that the Rayleigh equation can be used to calculate biodegradation in quasi closed systems based on measured isotope shifts. A similar attempt was performed to assess toluene degradation in a contaminated, anoxic aquifer. A transect of groundwater wells was monitored along the main direction of the groundwater flow and revealed decreasing concentrations accompanied with an increase in the 13C/12C stable carbon isotope ratio of the residual toluene. Calculation of the extent of biodegradation based on the isotope values and laboratory derived isotope fractionation factors showed that the residual toluene was degraded to more than 99% by microbial activity. Calculation of the theoretical residual toluene concentrations based on the measured isotope values described the strongly decreasing concentrations along the plume. Other aromatic hydrocarbons like benzene and naphthalene which were analysed in the same course also showed decreasing concentrations along the groundwater flow path accompanied by increasing 13C values indicating biodegradation. 相似文献
Concentrations and isotopic compositions (13C/12C) of aromatic hydrocarbons were determined in eight samples obtained from the strongly anoxic part of the leachate plume downgradient from the Vejen Landfill (Denmark), where methanogenic, sulfate-reducing and iron-reducing conditions were observed. Despite the heterogeneous distribution of the compounds in the plume, the isotope fractionation proved that ethylbenzene and m/p-xylene were subject to significant biodegradation within the strongly anoxic plume. The isotope fractionation factors (alphaC) for the degradation of the m/p-xylene (1.0015) and ethylbenzene (1.0021) obtained from the field observations were similar to factors previously determined for the anaerobic degradation of toluene and o-xylene in laboratory experiments, and suggest that in situ biodegradation is one major process controlling the fate of these contaminants in this aquifer. The isotope fractionation determined for 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene and 2-ethyltoluene suggested in situ biodegradation; however, the isotopic composition did not correlate well with the respective concentration as expressed by the Rayleigh equation. Some other compounds (1,2,3-trimethylbenzene, o-xylene, naphthalene and fenchone) did not show significant enrichments in delta13C values along the flow path. The compound concentrations were too low for accurate isotope analyses of benzene, toluene, 1- and 2-methylnaphthalene, while interferences in the chromatography made it impossible to evaluate the isotopic composition for 4-ethyltoluene, 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene and camphor.In addition to demonstrating the potential of assessing isotopic fractionation as a means for documenting the in situ biodegradation of complex mixtures of aromatic hydrocarbons in leachate plumes, this study also illustrates the difficulties for data interpretation in complex plumes and high analytical uncertainties for isotope analysis of organic compounds in low concentration ranges. 相似文献
The assessment of biodegradation in contaminated aquifers has become an issue of increasing importance in the recent years. To some extent, this can be related to the acceptance of intrinsic bioremediation or monitored natural attenuation as a means to manage contaminated sites. Among the few existing methods to detect biodegradation in the subsurface, stable isotope fractionation analysis (SIFA) is one of the most promising approaches which is pronounced by the drastically increasing number of applications. This review covers the recent laboratory and field studies assessing biodegradation of contaminants via stable isotope analysis. Stable isotope enrichment factors have been found that vary from no fractionation for dioxygenase reactions converting aromatic hydrocarbons over moderate fractionation by monooxygenase reactions (epsilon=-3 per thousand) and some anaerobic studies on microbial degradation of aromatic hydrocarbons (epsilon=-1.7 per thousand) to larger fractionations by anaerobic dehalogenation reactions of chlorinated solvents (epsilon=between -5 per thousand and -30 per thousand). The different isotope enrichment factors can be related to the respective biochemical reactions. Based on that knowledge, we discuss under what circumstances SIFA can be used for a qualitative or even a quantitative assessment of biodegradation in the environment. In a steadily increasing number of cases, it was possible to explain biodegradation processes in the field based on isotope enrichment factors obtained from laboratory experiments with pure cultures and measured isotope values from the field. The review will focus on the aerobic and anaerobic degradation of aromatic hydrocarbons and chlorinated solvents as the major contaminants of groundwater. Advances in the instrumental development for stable isotope analysis are only mentioned if it is important for the understanding of the application. 相似文献