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Brown LM, Thornton SF, Baú D. Enhancing in situ biodegradation in groundwater using pump and treat remediation: a proof of concept and modelling analysis of controlling variables. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024; 31:27356-27374. [PMID: 38512569 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-32662-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
A remediation approach which uses pump and treatment (PAT) to enhance the biodegradation of organic contaminants by increasing dispersive mixing between plumes and groundwater was evaluated for a phenol-contaminated aquifer, using a reactive transport model which simulates kinetic reactions between an electron donor (ED) in the plume and electron acceptor (EA) in the groundwater. The influence of system design and operation was examined in six modelling scenarios. Injection or extraction of groundwater increases biodegradation above no action and the location, pumping rate, and distance between well(s) are important variables which influence biodegradation. An increase in pumping rate, distance of the wells from the plume centreline, and changing the flow direction increase dispersive mixing between the plume and groundwater. This increases plume spreading and the plume fringe interface, providing a greater flux of dissolved EAs for biodegradation. In general, injection of groundwater containing natural EAs enhances biodegradation more than extraction. The enhancement of biodegradation is sensitive to the relative fluxes of ED and EA, as controlled by the arrangement of the wells. In the best performing scenario, biodegradation was enhanced by 128%, compared with no action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luther M Brown
- Groundwater Protection and Restoration Group, Civil and Structural Engineering, University of Sheffield, Mappin Street, Sheffield, S1 3JD, UK.
| | - Steven F Thornton
- Groundwater Protection and Restoration Group, Civil and Structural Engineering, University of Sheffield, Mappin Street, Sheffield, S1 3JD, UK
| | - Domenico Baú
- Groundwater Protection and Restoration Group, Civil and Structural Engineering, University of Sheffield, Mappin Street, Sheffield, S1 3JD, UK
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Sun F, Mellage A, Wang Z, Bakkour R, Griebler C, Thullner M, Cirpka OA, Elsner M. Toward Improved Bioremediation Strategies: Response of BAM-Degradation Activity to Concentration and Flow Changes in an Inoculated Bench-Scale Sediment Tank. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:4050-4061. [PMID: 35263099 PMCID: PMC8988295 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c05259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) can reveal mass-transfer limitations during biodegradation of organic pollutants by enabling the detection of masked isotope fractionation. Here, we applied CSIA to monitor the adaptive response of bacterial degradation in inoculated sediment to low contaminant concentrations over time. We characterized Aminobacter sp. MSH1 activity in a flow-through sediment tank in response to a transient supply of elevated 2,6-dichlorobenzamide (BAM) concentrations as a priming strategy and took advantage of an inadvertent intermittence to investigate the effect of short-term flow fluctuations. Priming and flow fluctuations yielded improved biodegradation performance and increased biodegradation capacity, as evaluated from bacterial activity and residual concentration time series. However, changes in isotope ratios in space and over time evidenced that mass transfer became increasingly limiting for degradation of BAM at low concentrations under such stimulated conditions, and that activity decreased further due to bacterial adaptation at low BAM (μg/L) levels. Isotope ratios, in conjunction with residual substrate concentrations, therefore helped identifying underlying limitations of biodegradation in such a stimulated system, offering important insight for future optimization of remediation schemes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengchao Sun
- Institute
of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstadter Landstrasse 1 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
- Chair
of Analytical Chemistry and Water Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, Lichtenbergstraße 4, 85748, Garching, Germany
| | - Adrian Mellage
- Center
for Applied Geoscience, University of Tübingen, Schnarrenbergstraße 94, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Zhe Wang
- Institute
of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstadter Landstrasse 1 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
- Chair
of Ecological Microbiology, University of
Bayreuth, Dr.-Hans-Frisch-Straße 1-3, 95448 Bayreuth, Germany
- School
of Life Sciences, Technical University of
Munich, Alte Akademie 8, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Rani Bakkour
- Chair
of Analytical Chemistry and Water Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, Lichtenbergstraße 4, 85748, Garching, Germany
| | - Christian Griebler
- Department
of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Martin Thullner
- Department
of Environmental Microbiology, UFZ—Helmholtz
Centre for Environmental Research, Permoserstr. 15, 30418 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Olaf A. Cirpka
- Center
for Applied Geoscience, University of Tübingen, Schnarrenbergstraße 94, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Martin Elsner
- Institute
of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstadter Landstrasse 1 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
- Chair
of Analytical Chemistry and Water Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, Lichtenbergstraße 4, 85748, Garching, Germany
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Sun F, Mellage A, Gharasoo M, Melsbach A, Cao X, Zimmermann R, Griebler C, Thullner M, Cirpka OA, Elsner M. Mass-Transfer-Limited Biodegradation at Low Concentrations-Evidence from Reactive Transport Modeling of Isotope Profiles in a Bench-Scale Aquifer. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:7386-7397. [PMID: 33970610 PMCID: PMC8173607 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c08566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Organic contaminant degradation by suspended bacteria in chemostats has shown that isotope fractionation decreases dramatically when pollutant concentrations fall below the (half-saturation) Monod constant. This masked isotope fractionation implies that membrane transfer is slow relative to the enzyme turnover at μg L-1 substrate levels. Analogous evidence of mass transfer as a bottleneck for biodegradation in aquifer settings, where microbes are attached to the sediment, is lacking. A quasi-two-dimensional flow-through sediment microcosm/tank system enabled us to study the aerobic degradation of 2,6-dichlorobenzamide (BAM), while collecting sufficient samples at the outlet for compound-specific isotope analysis. By feeding an anoxic BAM solution through the center inlet port and dissolved oxygen (DO) above and below, strong transverse concentration cross-gradients of BAM and DO yielded zones of low (μg L-1) steady-state concentrations. We were able to simulate the profiles of concentrations and isotope ratios of the contaminant plume using a reactive transport model that accounted for a mass-transfer limitation into bacterial cells, where apparent isotope enrichment factors *ε decreased strongly below concentrations around 600 μg/L BAM. For the biodegradation of organic micropollutants, mass transfer into the cell emerges as a bottleneck, specifically at low (μg L-1) concentrations. Neglecting this effect when interpreting isotope ratios at field sites may lead to a significant underestimation of biodegradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengchao Sun
- Institute
of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum
München, Ingolstädter
Landstrasse 1, Neuherberg 85764, Germany
- Chair
of Analytical Chemistry and Water Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, Marchioninistrasse 17, Munich 81377, Germany
| | - Adrian Mellage
- Center
for Applied Geoscience, University of Tübingen, Schnarrenbergstrasse 94−96, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Mehdi Gharasoo
- Institute
of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum
München, Ingolstädter
Landstrasse 1, Neuherberg 85764, Germany
- Department
of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Ecohydrology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Aileen Melsbach
- Institute
of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum
München, Ingolstädter
Landstrasse 1, Neuherberg 85764, Germany
- Chair
of Analytical Chemistry and Water Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, Marchioninistrasse 17, Munich 81377, Germany
| | - Xin Cao
- Joint
Mass Spectrometry Centre, Comprehensive
Molecular Analytics (CMA) Cooperation Group Helmholtz Zentrum, Gmunderstrasse 37, Munich 81379, Germany
| | - Ralf Zimmermann
- Joint
Mass Spectrometry Centre, Comprehensive
Molecular Analytics (CMA) Cooperation Group Helmholtz Zentrum, Gmunderstrasse 37, Munich 81379, Germany
| | - Christian Griebler
- Department
of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Martin Thullner
- Department
of Environmental Microbiology, UFZ—Helmholtz
Centre for Environmental Research, Permoserstrasse 15, Leipzig 30418, Germany
| | - Olaf A. Cirpka
- Center
for Applied Geoscience, University of Tübingen, Schnarrenbergstrasse 94−96, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Martin Elsner
- Institute
of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum
München, Ingolstädter
Landstrasse 1, Neuherberg 85764, Germany
- Chair
of Analytical Chemistry and Water Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, Marchioninistrasse 17, Munich 81377, Germany
- Phone: +49 89 2180-78232
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Contaminant concentration versus flow velocity: drivers of biodegradation and microbial growth in groundwater model systems. Biodegradation 2018; 29:211-232. [PMID: 29492777 PMCID: PMC5943387 DOI: 10.1007/s10532-018-9824-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2017] [Accepted: 02/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Aromatic hydrocarbons belong to the most abundant contaminants in groundwater systems. They can serve as carbon and energy source for a multitude of indigenous microorganisms. Predictions of contaminant biodegradation and microbial growth in contaminated aquifers are often vague because the parameters of microbial activity in the mathematical models used for predictions are typically derived from batch experiments, which don’t represent conditions in the field. In order to improve our understanding of key drivers of natural attenuation and the accuracy of predictive models, we conducted comparative experiments in batch and sediment flow-through systems with varying concentrations of contaminant in the inflow and flow velocities applying the aerobic Pseudomonas putida strain F1 and the denitrifying Aromatoleum aromaticum strain EbN1. We followed toluene degradation and bacterial growth by measuring toluene and oxygen concentrations and by direct cell counts. In the sediment columns, the total amount of toluene degraded by P. putida F1 increased with increasing source concentration and flow velocity, while toluene removal efficiency gradually decreased. Results point at mass transfer limitation being an important process controlling toluene biodegradation that cannot be assessed with batch experiments. We also observed a decrease in the maximum specific growth rate with increasing source concentration and flow velocity. At low toluene concentrations, the efficiencies in carbon assimilation within the flow-through systems exceeded those in the batch systems. In all column experiments the number of attached cells plateaued after an initial growth phase indicating a specific “carrying capacity” depending on contaminant concentration and flow velocity. Moreover, in all cases, cells attached to the sediment dominated over those in suspension, and toluene degradation was performed practically by attached cells only. The observed effects of varying contaminant inflow concentration and flow velocity on biodegradation could be captured by a reactive-transport model. By monitoring both attached and suspended cells we could quantify the release of new-grown cells from the sediments to the mobile aqueous phase. Studying flow velocity and contaminant concentrations as key drivers of contaminant transformation in sediment flow-through microcosms improves our system understanding and eventually the prediction of microbial biodegradation at contaminated sites.
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Hofmann R, Grösbacher M, Griebler C. Mini Sediment Columns and Two-Dimensional Sediment Flow-Through Microcosms: Versatile Experimental Systems for Studying Biodegradation of Organic Contaminants in Groundwater Ecosystems. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/8623_2016_210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/23/2023]
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Mellage A, Eckert D, Grösbacher M, Inan AZ, Cirpka OA, Griebler C. Dynamics of suspended and attached aerobic toluene degraders in small-scale flow-through sediment systems under growth and starvation conditions. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2015; 49:7161-9. [PMID: 26009808 DOI: 10.1021/es5058538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
The microbially mediated reactions, that are responsible for field-scale natural attenuation of organic pollutants, are governed by the concurrent presence of a degrading microbial community, suitable energy and carbon sources, electron acceptors, as well as nutrients. The temporal lack of one of these essential components for microbial activity, arising from transient environmental conditions, might potentially impair in situ biodegradation. This study presents results of small scale flow-through experiments aimed at ascertaining the effects of substrate-starvation periods on the aerobic degradation of toluene by Pseudomonas putida F1. During the course of the experiments, concentrations of attached and mobile bacteria, as well as toluene and oxygen were monitored. Results from a fitted reactive-transport model, along with the observed profiles, show the ability of attached cells to survive substrate-starvation periods of up to four months and suggest a highly dynamic exchange between attached and mobile cells under growth conditions and negligible cell detachment under substrate-starvation conditions. Upon reinstatement of toluene, it was readily degraded without a significant lag period, even after a starvation period of 130 days. Our experimental and modeling results strongly suggest that aerobic biodegradation of BTEX-hydrocarbons at contaminated field sites is not hampered by intermittent starvation periods of up to four months.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Mellage
- †University of Tübingen, Center for Applied Geoscience, Hölderlinstrasse, 12, 72074 Tübingen, Germany
- ‡now at: University of Waterloo, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, 200 University Ave. W, Waterloo, Ontario Canada N2L 3G1
| | - Dominik Eckert
- †University of Tübingen, Center for Applied Geoscience, Hölderlinstrasse, 12, 72074 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Michael Grösbacher
- §Helmholtz Zentrum München, Institute of Groundwater Ecology, Ingolstädter Landstrasse 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Ayse Z Inan
- §Helmholtz Zentrum München, Institute of Groundwater Ecology, Ingolstädter Landstrasse 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Olaf A Cirpka
- †University of Tübingen, Center for Applied Geoscience, Hölderlinstrasse, 12, 72074 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Christian Griebler
- §Helmholtz Zentrum München, Institute of Groundwater Ecology, Ingolstädter Landstrasse 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
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