The objective of this research was to evaluate the long-term performance of enhanced anaerobic bioremediation (EAB) at chlorinated solvent sites and the occurrence of sustained treatment following EAB. A database of groundwater concentration versus time records was compiled for 25 sites with at least three years of post-treatment data. The median post-treatment monitoring period for these sites was 5.2 years, with a maximum of 11.7 years. Long-term performance was evaluated based on concentration changes from before treatment to the final year of post-treatment monitoring. Results indicate that the median concentration reduction for all 25 sites was approximately 80%, just under 1 order of magnitude. Sustained treatment, where concentrations remain suppressed after ceasing active treatment, was evaluated using a lines-of-evidence approach including analysis of rebound, statistical concentration trends after treatment, and decay rates from before and after treatment. Results indicate that sustained treatment is occurring at a majority of the sites.

Coumaphos is an organophosphate insecticide used predominantly by the US Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services for its tick eradication program. Bioremediation of the hydrolysis products of coumaphos, chlorferon and diethylthiophosphate (DETP), using Ca-alginate immobilized cells was the focus of this research. Consortia of indigenous microorganisms capable of degrading chlorferon and DETP were isolated separately. Since chlorferon inhibited both chlorferon-degrading and DETP-degrading organisms, it was not possible to enrich a consortium of organisms for simultaneous degradation of chlorferon and DETP. A two-step growth procedure was developed for degradation studies to provide biomass acclimated to the target compound and reaction medium since cells lost their degradation activity during the growth in a rich medium. Without acclimation, approximately a week-long lag period was required before degradation was initiated. Optimum reaction conditions were found for the degradation of chlorferon and DETP using free cells. Reaction kinetics of chlorferon and DETP were determined using enzyme kinetics because cell growth was not observed during the degradation. Chlorferon degradation followed substrate inhibition kinetics and DETP degradation followed simple Michaelis-Menten kinetics. A calcium-alginate immobilized cell system was developed, and the optimum bead loadings in the reactor were determined. Degradation rates for immobilized cells were enhanced up to five times that for free cells in untreated cattle dip (UCD) solution. The enhanced degradation of immobilized cells was due to protection of the cells from inhibitory substances present in the UCD solution. In addition, physiological changes of cells caused by Ca-alginate immobilization may have contributed to a slightly increased reaction rate in pure solution. Diffusion coefficients of chlorferon and DETP into Ca-alginate gel beads were studied to assist in designing and operating bioreactor systems. Diffusion coefficients of chlorferon and DETP increased with increasing agitation speed and decreasing substrate concentration. Increased cell concentration in gel beads caused lower diffusivity. Calcium-alginate gel beads used in this study were not subject to diffusional limitations. Both external and internal mass transfer resistances were negligible, and the degradation rate inside Ca-alginate gel beads was reaction-limited.

No description available.

In environments characterized by low pH and/or high nitrate, the biomineralization of U(VI)-phosphate minerals represents a uniquely suited bioremediation method involving microbially-mediated hydrolysis of organophosphates coupled to a chemical precipitation of sparingly soluble U(VI)-phosphate minerals. In this study, the ability of natural microbial phytases to hydrolyze phytate, a naturally-occurring and abundant organophosphate, and precipitate uranium-phosphate minerals was investigated through a combination of sediment microcosms, soil slurries, and pure culture studies. In this study, biomineralization of U(VI)-phosphate minerals promoted by addition of glycerol-2-phosphate was shown to outcompete bioreduction in anaerobically-maintained sediment microcosms containing contaminated soils. Addition of phytate to aerobic soils slurries containing ORFRC soils also resulted in significant production of inorganic phosphate, and two microorganisms that efficiently hydrolyze phytate were isolated from these experiments. Overall, the results of this study demonstrate phytate hydrolysis by subsurface microorganisms coupled to precipitation of U(VI)-phosphate minerals for the first time, suggesting that phytate may represent an ideal organophosphate to promote this process.

he chlorinated methanes carbon tetrachloride (CT), chloroform (CF), dichloromethane (DCM) and chloromethane (CM) are widespread groundwater pollutants that pose risks to human and ecosystem health. Although some progress has been made in elucidating the microbiology contributing to the aerobic degradation of DCM and CM, these efforts have had little impact on bioremediation practices aimed at restoring anoxic aquifers impacted by chlorinated methanes. Remaining knowledge gaps include the lack of understanding of the microbial mechanisms and pathways contributing to chlorinated methane transformations under anoxic conditions. Thus, the major goals of this research effort were to identify microbes that can contribute to the transformation of chlorinated methanes in the absence of oxygen, and to develop monitoring tools to assess anaerobic chlorinated methane bioremediation at contaminated sites. To accomplish these goals, freshwater and estuarine sediment samples from 45 geographically distinct locations, including 3 sites with reported chlorinated-methane contamination, were collected and screened for CT-, CF-, DCM- and/or CM-degrading activity. DCM degradation was observed in microcosms established with sediment materials from 15 locations, and the sediment-free, DCM-degrading enrichment culture RM was obtained from Rio Mameyes sediment. 16S rRNA-gene based community analysis characterized consortium RM, and identified a Dehalobacter sp. involved in DCM fermentation to non-toxic products. Organism- and process-specific monitoring tools were designed that target the 16S rRNA gene of the DCM-fermenting Dehalobacter sp. and the consortium’s specific 13C-DCM enrichment factor, respectively. Treatability studies using site materials that showed no chlorinated methane degradation activity demonstrated the feasibility of using CF- and DCM-degrading consortia for bioaugmentation applications. Collectively, this study expands our understanding of bacteria contributing to chlorinated methane degradation, provides new tools for monitoring anaerobic DCM degradation, and demonstrates that microbial remedies at chlorinated methane contaminated sites are feasible.

This study involved the investigation of a contaminated soil problem in Gateshead, UK. The site was previously a dumping area from industrial activities for over a hundred years and generated problems of high sulphate concentration and heavy metals in both the soil and the leachate which discharges into the River Tyne. The combination of such contaminants has not been widely investigated in the area of contaminated soil. The study was therefore divided into 2 parts, namely bioremediation of the contaminated soil and leachate treatment by reverse osmosis. The bioremediation study involved treatability tests which included slurry, microbial growth and column tests. The reverse osmosis study involved membrane fouling and leachate pre-treatment experiments. The bioremediation study stimulated the indigenous microorganisms by the addition of nutrients and carbon sources. The soil slurry and microbial growth tests determined the combination of nitrogen and phosphorus required to produce higher C02 evolution as an assessment of microbial activity. It was found in the column tests that the addition of a carbon source and appiopriate nutrient combinations resulted in a significant reduction of sulphate in both the leachate and the soil matrix. Furthermore, this was also accompanied by an increase in the microbial population in the soil matrix. It was also considered that- assimilatory sulphate reduction by microorganisms had taken place since H2S production could not be detected in the open system of the column. However, the high pH of the soil that was higher than 8 possibly caused H2S production undetected in this study. Zinc, manganesea nd copper,i n contrastw ere not reducedi n the soil matrix. Only arsenic showed significant reduction in the soil columns. Heavy metals were precipitateda nd were still presenti n high concentrationsin the leachatea nd would require further treatmenti n the liquid phase.T his was demonstratedb y the study of the use of a LPROM (Low PressureR everseO smosisM embrane)t o treat leachate from the contaminated soil. The reverse osmosis study showed that zinc and arsenic could be reduced by up to 86% and 97% respectively. Sulphate was also satisfactorily reduced up to 99%. However, the study on membrane fouling confirmed that the sulphate concentration was the main effect of fouling. Ferric chloride, aluminium sulphate, barium chloride and polyelectrolyte Zetag 92 were used for coagulation-flocculation in the pretreatment of the leachate. The study revealed that the sulphate concentration could only be reduced at the most by 43% using a FeC13, BaC12 and Zetag 92 combination. FeC13 showed better floc characteristics than alum whereas BaC12 improved sulphate removal but increased the turbidity in the supernatants. However, the use of BaC12 would significantly increase the cost of pretreatment. The study recommended a further investigation into the use of a range of readily available carbon, nitrogen and phosphorous sources in the soil column or at pilot-scale for designing a full-scale bioremediation system. Meanwhile, an investigation into other leachate pretreatment methods such as continuous microfiltration or anti-scalant addition was also suggested.

Thesis (M.S.)--Worcester Polytechnic Institute. / Keywords: Petroleum hydrocarbons; biodegradation. Includes bibliographical references (leaf 166).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1992. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 120-124). Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (M.S.)--Youngstown State University, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 36-40). Also available via the World Wide Web in PDF format.

Thesis (MS)--Montana State University--Bozeman, 2009. / Typescript. Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Robin Gerlach. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 123-130).