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Puigserver D, Herrero J, Carmona JM. Mobilization pilot test of PCE sources in the transition zone to aquitards by combining mZVI and biostimulation with lactic acid. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 877:162751. [PMID: 36921871 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Revised: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The potential toxic and carcinogenic effects of chlorinated solvents in groundwater on human health and aquatic ecosystems require very effective remediation strategies of contaminated groundwater to achieve the low legal cleanup targets required. The transition zones between aquifers and bottom aquitards occur mainly in prograding alluvial fan geological contexts. Hence, they are very frequent from a hydrogeological point of view. The transition zone consists of numerous thin layers of fine to coarse-grained clastic fragments (e.g., medium sands and gravels), which alternate with fine-grained materials (clays and silts). When the transition zones are affected by DNAPL spills, free-phase pools accumulate on the less conductive layers. Owing to the low overall conductivity of this zone, the pools are very recalcitrant. Little field research has been done on transition zone remediation techniques. Injection of iron microparticles has the disadvantage of the limited accessibility of this reagent to reach the entire source of contamination. Biostimulation of indigenous microorganisms in the medium has the disadvantage that few of the microorganisms are capable of complete biodegradation to total mineralization of the parent contaminant and metabolites. A field pilot test was conducted at a site where a transition zone existed in which DNAPL pools of PCE had accumulated. In particular, the interface with the bottom aquitard was where PCE concentrations were the highest. In this pilot test, a combined strategy using ZVI in microparticles and biostimulation with lactate in the form of lactic acid was conducted. Throughout the test it was found that the interdependence of the coupled biotic and abiotic processes generated synergies between these processes. This resulted in a greater degradation of the PCE and its transformation products. With the combination of the two techniques, the mobilization of the contaminant source of PCE was extremely effective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Puigserver
- Department of Mineralogy, Petrology and Applied Geology. Faculty of Earth Sciences, University of Barcelona (UB), Water Research Institute (IdRA-UB), Serra Húnter Tenure-elegible Lecturer, C/ Martí i Franquès, s/n, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Jofre Herrero
- Department of Mineralogy, Petrology and Applied Geology, Faculty of Earth Sciences, University of Barcelona (UB), Water Research Institute (IdRA-UB), C/ Martí i Franquès, s/n, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - José M Carmona
- Department of Mineralogy, Petrology and Applied Geology, Faculty of Earth Sciences, University of Barcelona (UB), Water Research Institute (IdRA-UB), C/ Martí i Franquès, s/n, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain.
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Wang X, Xin J, Yuan M, Zhao F, Wang L. Coupled microscale zero valent iron-autotrophic hydrogen bacteria dechlorination system is not always superior to its standalone counterparts: A sustainable remediation perspective. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 857:159364. [PMID: 36228794 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159364] [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: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The coupling of microscale zero-valent iron with autotrophic hydrogen bacteria (mZVI-AHB) are often believed to show greater potential than the single abiotic or biotic systems in remediating chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbon-contaminated groundwater. However, our understanding of the remediation performance of this system under real field conditions, especially by incorporating the concept of sustainable remediation, remains limited. In this study, the performances of the mZVI, H2-AHB, and mZVI-AHB systems in dechlorinating groundwater containing complex electron acceptors were compared by evaluating their removal efficiency (RE), reaction products, and electron efficiency (EE), using trichloroethylene (TCE) as the target contaminant and NO3- and SO42- as the coexisting natural electron acceptors. Ultimately, which of these systems had TCE removal superiority was dependent on the coexisting electron acceptor. mZVI-AHB and mZVI resulted in more complete dechlorination, whereas H2-AHB exhibited higher N2 selectivity in reducing NO3-. Regardless of the coexisting electron acceptor, the mZVI-alone system showed the highest EE. Finally, the sustainability concerns and applicability of the three systems were evaluated on the basis of their TCE RE, complete dechlorination ratio, N2 selectivity, EE, and cost, which were integrated into a comparison of overall benefits. Our findings provide comprehensive and insightful information on the factors that determine remediation scheme selection in real practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohui Wang
- Key Lab of Marine Environmental Science and Ecology, Ministry of Education; Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Environment and Geological Engineering, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
| | - Jia Xin
- Key Lab of Marine Environmental Science and Ecology, Ministry of Education; Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Environment and Geological Engineering, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China.
| | - Mengjiao Yuan
- Key Lab of Marine Environmental Science and Ecology, Ministry of Education; Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Environment and Geological Engineering, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
| | - Fang Zhao
- Key Lab of Marine Environmental Science and Ecology, Ministry of Education; Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Environment and Geological Engineering, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
| | - Litao Wang
- Key Lab of Marine Environmental Science and Ecology, Ministry of Education; Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Environment and Geological Engineering, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
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Buchner D, Martin PR, Scheckenbach J, Kümmel S, Gelman F, Haderlein SB. Expanding the calibration range of compound-specific chlorine isotope analysis by the preparation of a 37 Cl-enriched tetrachloroethylene. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2022; 36:e9378. [PMID: 35975721 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.9378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Revised: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE The recent development of reliable GC/qMS methods for δ37 Cl compound-specific stable isotope analysis (CSIA) paves the way for dual carbon-chlorine isotope analysis of chlorinated ethenes and thus allows deeper insights into underlying transformation processes/mechanisms. A two-point calibration is indispensable for the precise and correct conversion of raw data to the international δ37 ClSMOC scale. The currently available calibration standards for tetrachloroethylene (PCE) span only a very narrow range from -2.52‰ (EIL2) to +0.29‰ (EIL1), which is considerably smaller than observed δ37 Cl isotope enrichment in (bio-)transformation studies (up to 12‰). METHODS We describe the preparation and evaluation of a new 37 Cl-enriched PCE standard to avoid bias in δ37 Cl CSIA arising from extrapolation beyond the calibration range. The preparation comprised: (i) partial PCE reduction by zero-valent zinc in a system of PCE, ethanol (initial volume ratio 3/5) and trace amounts of water followed by (ii) liquid-liquid extraction and (iii) a subsequent fractional distillation to purify the 37 Cl-enriched PCE. RESULTS The obtained PCE (PCEenriched ) showed a purity of 98.8% (mole fraction) and a δ37 ClSMOC value of +10.8 ± 0.5‰. The evaluation of an experimental dataset with and without extrapolation showed no significant variation. CONCLUSIONS The new PCE standard (PCEenriched ) expands the calibration range to 13.3‰ (previously 2.8‰) and thus prevents potential bias introduced by extrapolation beyond the calibration range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Buchner
- Department of Geosciences, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Philipp R Martin
- Department of Geosciences, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | | | - Steffen Kümmel
- Department of Isotope Biogeochemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
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Wang G, Liu Y, Wang X, Dong X, Jiang N, Wang H. Application of dual carbon-bromine stable isotope analysis to characterize anaerobic micro-degradation mechanisms of PBDEs in wetland bottom-water. WATER RESEARCH 2022; 208:117854. [PMID: 34800854 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.117854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2021] [Revised: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), one kind of persistent organic pollutants, were widely detected in coastal wetlands. Microbial reductive debromination is one of the most important attenuation processes for PBDEs in anaerobic environment, whereas the underlying reaction mechanisms remain elusive. Dual-element stable isotope analysis was recently recognized to distinguish different reaction mechanism for degradation of organic pollutants. In this study, the dual carbon-bromine isotope effects associated with the anaerobic microbial degradation were first investigated to characterize the reaction mechanisms for BDE-47 and BDE-153. Presence of lower brominated congeners indicated stepwise debromination as the main degradation pathway, with the preferential removal of bromine in para position > meta/ortho position. The pronounced isotope fractionation was observed for both carbon and bromine, with similar carbon (εC) and bromine isotope enrichment factor (εBr) between BDE-47 (εC = -5.98‰, εBr = -2.44‰) and BDE-153 (εC = -5.57‰, εBr = -2.06‰) during the microbial degradation. Compared to εC and εBr, the correlation of carbon and isotope effects (ΛC/Br = Δδ81Br/Δδ13C) was almost the same between BDE-47 (0.436) and BDE-153 (0.435), indicating the similar reaction mechanism. The calculated carbon and bromine apparent kinetic isotope effects (AKIEC and AKIEBr) were 1.0773 and 1.0098 for BDE-47 and 1.0716 and 1.0125 for BDE-153, within range reported for degradation of halogenated compounds following nucleophilic substitution. Combination analysis of degradation products, ΛC/Br and AKIE, all the results pointed to that the anaerobic reductive debromination of BDE-47 and BDE-153 followed the nucleophilic aromatic substitution, with the addition of cofactor to the benzene ring concomitant with dissociation of carbon-bromine bond via the inner-sphere electron transfer, and the cleavage of C-Br bond was the rate-determining step. This study contributed to the development of dual carbon-bromine isotope analysis as a robust approach to probe the fate of PBDEs in contaminated sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoguang Wang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian 116026, China
| | - Yu Liu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian 116026, China; Environmental Information Institute, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian 116026, China.
| | - Xu Wang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian 116026, China
| | - Xu Dong
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian 116026, China
| | - Na Jiang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian 116026, China
| | - Haixia Wang
- Navigation College, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian 116026, China
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Gilevska T, Sullivan Ojeda A, Kümmel S, Gehre M, Seger E, West K, Morgan SA, Mack EE, Sherwood Lollar B. Multi-element isotopic evidence for monochlorobenzene and benzene degradation under anaerobic conditions in contaminated sediments. WATER RESEARCH 2021; 207:117809. [PMID: 34741903 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.117809] [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: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Industrial chemicals are frequently detected in sediments due to a legacy of chemical spills. Globally, site remedies for groundwater and sediment decontamination include natural attenuation by in situ abiotic and biotic processes. Compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) is a diagnostic tool to identify, quantify, and characterize degradation processes in situ, and in some cases can differentiate between abiotic degradation and biodegradation. This study reports high-resolution carbon, chlorine, and hydrogen stable isotope profiles for monochlorobenzene (MCB), and carbon and hydrogen stable isotope profiles for benzene, coupled with measurements of pore water concentrations in contaminated sediments. Multi-element isotopic analysis of δ13C and δ37Cl for MCB were used to generate dual-isotope plots, which for 2 locations at the study site resulted in ΛC/Cl(130) values of 1.42 ± 0.19 and ΛC/Cl(131) values of 1.70 ± 0.15, consistent with theoretical calculations for carbon-chlorine bond cleavage (ΛT = 1.80 ± 0.31) via microbial reductive dechlorination. For benzene, significant δ2H (122‰) and δ13C (6‰) depletion trends, followed by enrichment trends in δ13C (1.6‰) in the upper part of the sediment, were observed at the same location, indicating not only production of benzene due to biodegradation of MCB, but subsequent biotransformation of benzene itself to nontoxic end-products. Degradation rate constants calculated independently using chlorine isotopic data and carbon isotopic data, respectively, agreed within uncertainty thus providing multiple lines of evidence for in situ contaminant degradation via reductive dechlorination and providing the foundation for a novel approach to determine site-specific in situ rate estimates essential for the prediction of remediation outcomes and timelines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tetyana Gilevska
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3B1, Canada; CNRS/EOST, ITES UMR 7063, Earth and Environment Institute of Strasbourg (ITES), University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, 67084, France
| | - Ann Sullivan Ojeda
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3B1, Canada; Department of Geosciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, United States
| | - Steffen Kümmel
- Department of Isotope Biogeochemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, UFZ, Leipzig, 04318, Germany
| | - Matthias Gehre
- Department of Isotope Biogeochemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, UFZ, Leipzig, 04318, Germany
| | - Edward Seger
- The Chemours Company, Wilmington, DE 19810, United States
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Tang C, Tan J, Tang C, Liu H, Zhang P, Liu D, Peng X. Chlorine isotope analysis of polychlorinated organic pollutants using gas chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry and evaluation of isotope ratio calculation schemes by experiment and numerical simulation. J Chromatogr A 2021; 1651:462311. [PMID: 34146960 DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2021.462311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Compound-specific isotope analysis of chlorine (CSIA-Cl) is a practicable and high-performance approach for revelation of transformation processes and source identification of chlorinated organic pollutants. This study conducted CSIA-Cl for typical polychlorinated organic pollutants using gas chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (GCHRMS) with an alternate injection mode using perchloroethylene (PCE) and trichloroethylene (TCE) as model analytes. PCE and TCE standards from two manufacturers were employed for method development, and chlorine isotope ratio calculation schemes were evaluated by experiment and numerical simulation. The achieved precision (standard deviation of isotope ratios) was up to 0.21‰ for PCE and 0.43‰ for TCE. The limits of detection for CSIA-Cl of were 0.05 μg/mL (0.05 ng on column), and the linearities were 0.05-1 μg/mL. Two isotope ratio calculation schemes, i.e., one using complete molecular isotopologues and another using the first pair of neighboring chlorine isotopologues of each analyte, were evaluated in terms of accuracy and precision. The complete-isotopologue scheme showed evidently higher precision and was more competent to reflect trueness than the isotopologue-pair scheme and the two schemes could present completely different outcomes. The method has been successfully applied to PCE and TCE reagents from different suppliers, a trichloromethane reagent, and a plastic material. The relative isotope ratio variations (Δ37Cl) of PCE and TCE in the reagents and plastic material were from -1.84±0.7‰ to 15.12±0.85‰. The analytes from different sources could mostly be discerned from each other by chlorine isotope ratios. This study will be conducive to transformation process elucidation and source identification of for PCE and TCE, and facilitate CSIA-Cl using GC-MS for more polychlorinated organic pollutants, particularly in selection and optimization of isotope ratio calculation schemes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caiming Tang
- Laboratory of Advanced Analytical Chemistry and Detection Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Engineering, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan 523808, China; State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China.
| | - Jianhua Tan
- Guangzhou Quality Supervision and Testing Institute, Guangzhou 510110, China
| | - Caixing Tang
- The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Lingnan Hospital, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Huachun Liu
- Guangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou 510440, China
| | - Peilin Zhang
- Guangzhou Quality Supervision and Testing Institute, Guangzhou 510110, China
| | - Deyun Liu
- Guangzhou Quality Supervision and Testing Institute, Guangzhou 510110, China
| | - Xianzhi Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China.
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Åkesson S, Sparrenbom CJ, Paul CJ, Jansson R, Holmstrand H. Characterizing natural degradation of tetrachloroethene (PCE) using a multidisciplinary approach. AMBIO 2021; 50:1074-1088. [PMID: 33263919 PMCID: PMC8035386 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-020-01418-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Revised: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
A site in mid-western Sweden contaminated with chlorinated solvents originating from a previous dry cleaning facility, was investigated using conventional groundwater analysis combined with compound-specific isotope data of carbon, microbial DNA analysis, and geoelectrical tomography techniques. We show the value of this multidisciplinary approach, as the different results supported each interpretation, and show where natural degradation occurs at the site. The zone where natural degradation occurred was identified in the transition between two geological units, where the change in hydraulic conductivity may have facilitated biofilm formation and microbial activity. This observation was confirmed by all methods and the examination of the impact of geological conditions on the biotransformation process was facilitated by the unique combination of the applied methods. There is thus significant benefit from deploying an extended array of methods for these investigations, with the potential to reduce costs involved in remediation of contaminated sediment and groundwater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Åkesson
- Department of Geology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 12, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | | | - Catherine J. Paul
- Applied Microbiology, Department of Chemistry, Lund University, P.O. Box 124, 221 00 Lund, Sweden
- Water Resources Engineering, Department of Building and Environmental Technology, Lund University, P.O. Box 118, 221 00 Lund, Sweden
| | - Robin Jansson
- Department of Geology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 12, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - Henry Holmstrand
- Department of Environmental Science (ACES), Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 8, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
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Walaszek M, Cary L, Billon G, Blessing M, Bouvet-Swialkowski A, George M, Criquet J, Mossmann JR. Dynamics of chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons in the Chalk aquifer of northern France. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 757:143742. [PMID: 33221002 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The Chalk aquifer used for drinking-water production in the southwest of the Lille European Metropolis is threatened by the presence of chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons (CHCs), their concentrations in groundwater regularly exceeding the regulatory limits for drinking water in France. This hinders its use for drinking-water production. Understanding the dynamics and spatial distribution of CHC in the aquifer is a key factor for resource sustainability. For that purpose, an intensive monitoring was undertaken in several well fields and at different depths over eight years. To assess a possible migration and/or degradation of the compounds, the water column in several wells was sampled at various depths with passive samplers. Furthermore, CHC degradation mechanisms were investigated with compound-specific carbon-isotope analysis. The CHC concentrations and their distributions in the area depend on past and current industrial activity, causing plumes emphasized by pumping in the wells, such plumes being multi-source with no identified origin in most wells. In the south area of Les Ansereuilles, reductive dechlorination of tetrachloroethylene from a former industrial laundry highly impacted the surrounding area with its main degradation product cis-1,2-dichloroethylene. The same area is also affected by tetrachlroroethylene from several industrial laundries, textile factories and dyeing industries with also an anaerobic degradation. In the northern part of Les Ansereuilles, tetrachloroethylene, trichloroethane, trichloroethylene and 1,1-dichloroethylene were found as primary products, whereas cis-1,2-dichloroethylene appears to be an anaerobic degradation product of TCE. The other well fields (Houplin-Ancoisne, Seclin and Emmerin) are less impacted by CHC pollution, and it was shown that no CHC degradation occurred in the wells. However, the stratification of CHCs in the well-water columns, their constant concentration values over time caused by the large amount of available CHCs, and the minor degradation occurring in wells are of concern for water operators in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milena Walaszek
- Univ. Lille CNRS, UMR 8516 - LASIRE, Equipe Physico-Chimie de l'Environnement, Lille F-59000, France; BRGM (French Geological Survey), 59810 Lesquin, France
| | - Lise Cary
- BRGM (French Geological Survey), 59810 Lesquin, France.
| | - Gabriel Billon
- Univ. Lille CNRS, UMR 8516 - LASIRE, Equipe Physico-Chimie de l'Environnement, Lille F-59000, France
| | | | | | - Melinda George
- Univ. Lille CNRS, UMR 8516 - LASIRE, Equipe Physico-Chimie de l'Environnement, Lille F-59000, France
| | - Justine Criquet
- Univ. Lille CNRS, UMR 8516 - LASIRE, Equipe Physico-Chimie de l'Environnement, Lille F-59000, France
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Xiong J, Li G, Peng P, Gelman F, Ronen Z, An T. Mechanism investigation and stable isotope change during photochemical degradation of tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) in water under LED white light irradiation. CHEMOSPHERE 2020; 258:127378. [PMID: 32554023 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.127378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2020] [Revised: 06/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Light driven degradation is very promising for pollutants remediation. In the present work, photochemical reaction of tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) under LED white light (λ > 400 nm) irradiation system was investigated to figure out the TBBPA photochemical degradation pathways and isotope fractionation patterns associated with transformation mechanisms. Results indicated that photochemical degradation of TBBPA would happen only with addition to humic acid in air bubbling but not in N2 bubbling. For photochemical reaction of TBBPA, singlet oxygen (1O2) was found to be important reactive oxygen species for the photochemical degradation of TBBPA. 2,6-Dibromo-4-(propan-2-ylidene)cyclohexa-2,5-dienone and two isopropyl phenol derivatives were identified as the photochemical degradation intermediates by 1O2. 2,6-Dibromo-4-(1-methoxy-ethyl)-phenol was determined as an intermediate via oxidative skeletal rearrangement, reduction and O-methylation. Hydrolysis product hydroxyl-tribromobisphenol A was also observed in the reductive debromination process. In addition, to deeply explore the mechanism, carbon and bromine isotope analysis were performed using gas chromatography/combustion/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC/C/IRMS) and gas chromatography-multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (GC/MC/ICPMS) during the photochemical degradation of TBBPA. The results showed that photochemical degradation could not result in statistically significant isotope fractionation, indicated that the bond cleavage of C-C and C-Br were not the rate controlling process. Stable isotope of carbon being not fractionated will be useful for distinguishing the pathways of TBBPA and tracing TBBPA fate in water systems. This work sheds light on photochemical degradation mechanisms of brominated organic contaminants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jukun Xiong
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Health Risk Control, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Institute of Environmental Health and Pollution Control, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, China; State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510640, China
| | - Guiying Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Health Risk Control, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Institute of Environmental Health and Pollution Control, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Ping'an Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510640, China
| | - Faina Gelman
- Geological Survey of Israel, 30 Malhei Israel Street, Jerusalem, 95501, Israel
| | - Zeev Ronen
- Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, Department of Environmental Hydrology and Microbiology, The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer Campus, Sede Boqer, 84990, Israel
| | - Taicheng An
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Health Risk Control, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Institute of Environmental Health and Pollution Control, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
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10
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Thouement HAA, Van Breukelen BM. Virtual experiments to assess opportunities and pitfalls of CSIA in physical-chemical heterogeneous aquifers. JOURNAL OF CONTAMINANT HYDROLOGY 2020; 231:103638. [PMID: 32240881 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconhyd.2020.103638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2019] [Revised: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Degradation of chlorinated ethenes (CEs) in low conductivity layers of aquifers reduces pollution plume tailing and accelerates natural attenuation timeframes. The degradation pathways involved are often different from those in the higher conductive layers and might go undetected when only highly conductive layers are targeted in site assessments. Reactive transport model simulations (PHT3D in FloPy) were executed to assess the performance of dual carbon and chlorine compound specific stable isotope analysis (CSIA) in degradation pathway identification and quantification in a coupled physical-chemical heterogeneous virtual aquifer. Degradation rate constants were assumed correlated to the hydraulic conductivity: positively for oxidative transformation (higher oxygen availability in coarser sands) and negatively for chemical reduction (higher content of reducing solids in finer sediments). Predicted carbon isotope ratios were highly heterogeneous. They generally increased downgradient of the pollution source but the large variation across depth illustrates that monotonously increasing isotope ratios downgradient, as were associated with the oxidative component, are not necessarily a common situation when degradation is favorable in low conductivity layers. Dual carbon-chlorine CSIA performed well in assessing the occurrence of the spatially separated degradation pathways and the overall degradation, provided appropriate enrichment factors were known and sufficiently different. However, pumping to obtain groundwater samples especially from longer well screens causes a bias towards overestimation of the contribution of oxidative transformation associated with the higher conductive zones. As degradation was less intense in these highly conductive zones under the simulated conditions, overall degradation was underestimated. In contrast, in the usual case of limited CSIA data, dual CSIA plots may rather indicate dominance of chemical reduction, while oxidative transformation could go unnoticed, despite being an equally important degradation pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Héloïse A A Thouement
- Department of Water Management, Delft University of Technology, Stevinweg 1, Delft 2628 CN, the Netherlands.
| | - Boris M Van Breukelen
- Department of Water Management, Delft University of Technology, Stevinweg 1, Delft 2628 CN, the Netherlands
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Gafni A, Gelman F, Ronen Z, Bernstein A. Variable carbon and chlorine isotope fractionation in TCE co-metabolic oxidation. CHEMOSPHERE 2020; 242:125130. [PMID: 31669996 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.125130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2019] [Revised: 10/12/2019] [Accepted: 10/14/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Identifying co-metabolic TCE oxidation in polluted groundwater is challenging due to lack of indicative by-products. This challenge may theoretically be resolved if the oxidation process can be characterized by a distinct dual isotope enrichment. In this work, we aimed to explore the carbon and chlorine isotope effects associated with TCE oxidation by a variety of oxygenases. These included pure strains and enrichment cultures of methane, toluene and ammonia oxidizers, as well as experiments with crude extracts. Isotope effects determined for TCE oxidation by toluene and ammonia oxidizers were mostly in line with expected values for epoxidation mechanism (ϵ13C -11.0 ± 0.7 to -24.8 ± 0.2‰ and ϵ37Cl +0.9 ± 0.5 to +1.0 ± 0.4‰), whereas, the methanotrophs resulted in distinctively different isotope effects (ϵ13C -2.4 ± 0.4 to -3.4 ± 0.8‰ and ϵ37Cl -1.8 ± 0.2 to -2.9 ± 0.9‰). It is suggested that in TCE oxidation by methanotrophs, substrate binding rather than bond cleavage is rate limiting, leading to this unexpected isotope effect. On the environmental level, our results imply that the oxidative process can be differentiated if catalyzed by toluene and ammonia oxidizers or by methanotrophs. Additionally, the oxidative process can be distinguished from the reductive one. However, using dual isotope analysis in the field may result in an under-estimation of the overall co-metabolic process if methanotrophs are to be excluded due to low isotope effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Almog Gafni
- Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, Department of Environmental Hydrology and Microbiology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer Campus, 8499000, Israel
| | - Faina Gelman
- Geological Survey of Israel, 32 Yesha'ayahu Leibowitz St, Jerusalem, 9692100, Israel
| | - Zeev Ronen
- Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, Department of Environmental Hydrology and Microbiology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer Campus, 8499000, Israel
| | - Anat Bernstein
- Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, Department of Environmental Hydrology and Microbiology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer Campus, 8499000, Israel.
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12
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Ojeda AS, Phillips E, Sherwood Lollar B. Multi-element (C, H, Cl, Br) stable isotope fractionation as a tool to investigate transformation processes for halogenated hydrocarbons. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2020; 22:567-582. [PMID: 31993605 DOI: 10.1039/c9em00498j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) is a powerful tool to evaluate transformation processes of halogenated compounds. Many halogenated hydrocarbons allow for multiple stable isotopic systems (C, H, Cl, Br) to be measured for a single compound. This has led to a large body of literature describing abiotic and biotic transformation pathways and reaction mechanisms for contaminants such as chlorinated alkenes and alkanes as well as brominated hydrocarbons. Here, the current literature is reviewed and a new compilation of Λ values for multi-isotopic systems for halogenated hydrocarbons is presented. Case studies of each compound class are discussed and thereby the current strengths of multi-element isotope analysis, continuing challenges, and gaps in our current knowledge are identified for practitioners of multi-element CSIA to address in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann Sullivan Ojeda
- Department of Geosciences, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama 36849, USA.
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13
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Büsing J, Buchner D, Behrens S, Haderlein SB. Deciphering the Variability of Stable Isotope (C, Cl) Fractionation of Tetrachloroethene Biotransformation by Desulfitobacterium strains Carrying Different Reductive Dehalogenases Enzymes. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2020; 54:1593-1602. [PMID: 31880148 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b05606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Kinetic isotope effects have been used successfully to prove and characterize organic contaminant transformation on various scales including field and laboratory studies. For tetrachloroethene (PCE) biotransformation, however, causes for the substantial variability of reported isotope enrichment factors (ε) are still not deciphered (εC = -0.4 to -19.0‰). Factors such as different reaction mechanisms and masking of isotope fractionation by either limited intracellular mass transfer or rate-limitations within the enzymatic multistep reaction are under discussion. This study evaluated the contribution of these factors to the magnitude of carbon and chlorine isotope fractionation of Desulfitobacterium strains harboring three different PCE-transforming enzymes (PCE-RdhA). Despite variable single element isotope fractionation (εC = -5.0 to -19.7‰; εCl = -1.9 to -6.3‰), similar slopes of dual element isotope plots (ΛC/Cl values of 2.4 ± 0.1 to 3.6 ± 0.1) suggest a common reaction mechanism for different PCE-RdhAs. Cell envelope properties of the Desulfitobacterium strains allowed to exclude masking effects due to PCE mass transfer limitation. Our results thus revealed that different rate-limiting steps (e.g., substrate channel diffusion) in the enzymatic multistep reactions of individual PCE-RdhAs rather than different reaction mechanisms determine the extent of PCE isotope fractionation in the Desulfitobacterium genus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Büsing
- Center for Applied Geoscience , University of Tübingen , 72074 Tübingen , Germany
| | - Daniel Buchner
- Center for Applied Geoscience , University of Tübingen , 72074 Tübingen , Germany
| | - Sebastian Behrens
- Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo-Engineering , University of Minnesota , Minneapolis , Minnesota 55455 , United States
| | - Stefan B Haderlein
- Center for Applied Geoscience , University of Tübingen , 72074 Tübingen , Germany
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14
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Murray AM, Ottosen CB, Maillard J, Holliger C, Johansen A, Brabæk L, Kristensen IL, Zimmermann J, Hunkeler D, Broholm MM. Chlorinated ethene plume evolution after source thermal remediation: Determination of degradation rates and mechanisms. JOURNAL OF CONTAMINANT HYDROLOGY 2019; 227:103551. [PMID: 31526529 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconhyd.2019.103551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2019] [Revised: 08/28/2019] [Accepted: 08/30/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The extent, mechanism(s), and rate of chlorinated ethene degradation in a large tetrachloroethene (PCE) plume were investigated in an extensive sampling campaign. Multiple lines of evidence for this degradation were explored, including compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA), dual C-Cl isotope analysis, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis targeting the genera Dehalococcoides and Dehalogenimonas and the genes vcrA, bvcA, and cerA. A decade prior to this sampling campaign, the plume source was thermally remediated by steam injection. This released dissolved organic carbon (DOC) that stimulated microbial activity and created reduced conditions within the plume. Based on an inclusive analysis of minor and major sampling campaigns since the initial site characterization, it was estimated that reduced conditions peaked 4 years after the remediation event. At the time of this study, 11 years after the remediation event, the redox conditions in the aquifer are returning to their original state. However, the DOC released from the remediated source zone matches levels measured 3 years prior and plume conditions are still suitable for biotic reductive dechlorination. Dehalococcoides spp., Dehalogenimonas spp., and vcrA, bvcA, and cerA reductive dehalogenase genes were detected close to the source, and suggest that complete, biotic PCE degradation occurs here. Further downgradient, qPCR analysis and enriched δ13C values for cis-dichloroethene (cDCE) suggest that cDCE is biodegraded in a sulfate-reducing zone in the plume. In the most downgradient portion of the plume, lower levels of specific degraders supported by dual C-Cl analysis indicate that the biodegradation occurs in combination with abiotic degradation. Additionally, 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing shows that organizational taxonomic units known to contain organohalide-respiring bacteria are relatively abundant throughout the plume. Hydraulic conductivity testing was also conducted, and local degradation rates for PCE and cDCE were determined at various locations throughout the plume. PCE degradation rates from sampling campaigns after the thermal remediation event range from 0.11 to 0.35 yr-1. PCE and cDCE degradation rates from the second to the third sampling campaigns ranged from 0.08 to 0.10 yr-1 and 0.01 to 0.07 yr-1, respectively. This is consistent with cDCE as the dominant daughter product in the majority of the plume and cDCE degradation as the time-limiting step. The extensive temporal and spatial analysis allowed for tracking the evolution of the plume and the lasting impact of the source remediation and illustrates that the multiple lines of evidence approach is essential to elucidate the primary degradation mechanisms in a plume of such size and complexity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Marie Murray
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby DK-2800, Denmark.
| | - Cecilie B Ottosen
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby DK-2800, Denmark
| | - Julien Maillard
- Laboratory for Environmental Biotechnology, ENAC-IIE, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Christof Holliger
- Laboratory for Environmental Biotechnology, ENAC-IIE, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Anders Johansen
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Lærke Brabæk
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby DK-2800, Denmark
| | - Inge Lise Kristensen
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby DK-2800, Denmark
| | - Jeremy Zimmermann
- Centre for Hydrogeology & Geothermics (CHYN), University of Neuchatel, Rue Emile Argand 11, CH 2000 Neuchatel, Switzerland
| | - Daniel Hunkeler
- Centre for Hydrogeology & Geothermics (CHYN), University of Neuchatel, Rue Emile Argand 11, CH 2000 Neuchatel, Switzerland
| | - Mette M Broholm
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby DK-2800, Denmark
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15
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Thouement HAA, Kuder T, Heimovaara TJ, van Breukelen BM. Do CSIA data from aquifers inform on natural degradation of chlorinated ethenes in aquitards? JOURNAL OF CONTAMINANT HYDROLOGY 2019; 226:103520. [PMID: 31377464 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconhyd.2019.103520] [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: 07/30/2018] [Revised: 05/24/2019] [Accepted: 07/02/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Back-diffusion of chlorinated ethenes (CEs) from low-permeability layers (LPLs) causes contaminant persistence long after the primary spill zones have disappeared. Naturally occurring degradation in LPLs lowers remediation time frames, but its assessment through sediment sampling is prohibitive in conventional remediation projects. Scenario simulations were performed with a reactive transport model (PHT3D in FloPy) accounting for isotope effects associated with degradation, sorption, and diffusion, to evaluate the potential of CSIA data from aquifers in assessing degradation in aquitards. The model simulated a trichloroethylene (TCE) DNAPL and its pollution plume within an aquifer-aquitard-aquifer system. Sequential reductive dechlorination to ethene and sorption were uniform in the aquitard and did not occur in the aquifer. After 10 years of loading the aquitard through diffusion from the plume, subsequent source removal triggered release of TCE by back-diffusion. In the upper aquifer, during the loading phase, δ13C-TCE was slightly enriched (up to 2‰) due to diffusion effects stimulated by degradation in the aquitard. In the upper aquifer, during the release phase, (i) source removal triggered a huge δ13C increase especially for higher CEs, (ii) moreover, downstream decreasing isotope ratios (caused by downgradient later onset of the release phase) with temporal increasing isotope ratios reflect aquitard degradation (as opposed to downstream increasing and temporally constant isotope ratios in reactive aquifers), and (iii) the carbon isotope mass balance (CIMB) enriched up to 4‰ as lower CEs (more depleted, less sorbing) have been transported deeper into the aquitard. Thus, enriched CIMB does not indicate oxidative transformation in this system. The CIMB enrichment enhanced with more sorption and lower aquitard thickness. Thin aquitards are quicker flushed from lower CEs leading to faster CIMB enrichment over time. CIMB enrichment is smaller or nearly absent when daughter products accumulate. Aquifer CSIA patterns indicative of aquitard degradation were similar in case of linear decreasing rate constants but contrasted with previous simulations assuming a thin bioactive zone. The Rayleigh equation systematically underestimates the extent of TCE degradation in aquifer samples especially during the loading phase and for conditions leading to long remediation time frames (low groundwater flow velocity, thicker aquitards, strong sorption in the aquitard). The Rayleigh equation provides a good and useful picture on aquitard degradation during the release phase throughout the sensitivity analysis. This modelling study provides a framework on how aquifer CSIA data can inform on the occurrence of aquitard degradation and its pitfalls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Héloïse A A Thouement
- Department of Water Management, Delft University of Technology, Stevinweg 1, 2628 CN Delft, the Netherlands.
| | - Tomasz Kuder
- School of Geology and Geophysics, University of Oklahoma, 100 E. Boyd Street, SEC 710, Norman, OK 73019, United States of America
| | - Timo J Heimovaara
- Department of Geoscience and Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Stevinweg 1, 2628 CN Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Boris M van Breukelen
- Department of Water Management, Delft University of Technology, Stevinweg 1, 2628 CN Delft, the Netherlands
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16
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Lihl C, Renpenning J, Kümmel S, Gelman F, Schürner HKV, Daubmeier M, Heckel B, Melsbach A, Bernstein A, Shouakar-Stash O, Gehre M, Elsner M. Toward Improved Accuracy in Chlorine Isotope Analysis: Synthesis Routes for In-House Standards and Characterization via Complementary Mass Spectrometry Methods. Anal Chem 2019; 91:12290-12297. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.9b02463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Christina Lihl
- Institute of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstädter Landstraße 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Julian Renpenning
- Department of Isotope Biogeochemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research − UFZ, Permoserstraße 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Steffen Kümmel
- Department of Isotope Biogeochemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research − UFZ, Permoserstraße 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Faina Gelman
- Geological Survey of Israel, 32 Yeshayahu Leibowitz Street, 9692100 Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Heide K. V. Schürner
- Institute of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstädter Landstraße 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Martina Daubmeier
- Institute of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstädter Landstraße 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Benjamin Heckel
- Chair of Analytical Chemistry and Water Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, Marchioninistraße 17, 81377 München, Germany
| | - Aileen Melsbach
- Institute of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstädter Landstraße 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Anat Bernstein
- Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, Department of Environmental Hydrology and Microbiology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 84990 Sede Boqer, Israel
| | - Orfan Shouakar-Stash
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1
| | - Matthias Gehre
- Department of Isotope Biogeochemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research − UFZ, Permoserstraße 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Martin Elsner
- Institute of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstädter Landstraße 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
- Chair of Analytical Chemistry and Water Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, Marchioninistraße 17, 81377 München, Germany
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17
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Lihl C, Douglas LM, Franke S, Pérez-de-Mora A, Meyer AH, Daubmeier M, Edwards EA, Nijenhuis I, Sherwood Lollar B, Elsner M. Mechanistic Dichotomy in Bacterial Trichloroethene Dechlorination Revealed by Carbon and Chlorine Isotope Effects. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2019; 53:4245-4254. [PMID: 30857389 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.8b06643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Tetrachloroethene (PCE) and trichloroethene (TCE) are significant groundwater contaminants. Microbial reductive dehalogenation at contaminated sites can produce nontoxic ethene but often stops at toxic cis-1,2-dichloroethene ( cis-DCE) or vinyl chloride (VC). The magnitude of carbon relative to chlorine isotope effects (as expressed by ΛC/Cl, the slope of δ13C versus δ37Cl regressions) was recently recognized to reveal different reduction mechanisms with vitamin B12 as a model reactant for reductive dehalogenase activity. Large ΛC/Cl values for cis-DCE reflected cob(I)alamin addition followed by protonation, whereas smaller ΛC/Cl values for PCE evidenced cob(I)alamin addition followed by Cl- elimination. This study addressed dehalogenation in actual microorganisms and observed identical large ΛC/Cl values for cis-DCE (ΛC/Cl = 10.0 to 17.8) that contrasted with identical smaller ΛC/Cl for TCE and PCE (ΛC/Cl = 2.3 to 3.8). For TCE, the trend of small ΛC/Cl could even be reversed when mixed cultures were precultivated on VC or DCEs and subsequently confronted with TCE (ΛC/Cl = 9.0 to 18.2). This observation provides explicit evidence that substrate adaptation must have selected for reductive dehalogenases with different mechanistic motifs. The patterns of ΛC/Cl are consistent with practically all studies published to date, while the difference in reaction mechanisms offers a potential answer to the long-standing question of why bioremediation frequently stalls at cis-DCE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Lihl
- Institute of Groundwater Ecology , Helmholtz Zentrum München , Ingolstädter Landstrasse 1 , 85764 Neuherberg , Germany
| | - Lisa M Douglas
- Department of Earth Sciences , University of Toronto , Toronto , Ontario M5S 3B5 , Canada
| | - Steffi Franke
- Department for Isotope Biogeochemistry , Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research, UFZ , Permoserstrasse 15 , 04318 Leipzig , Germany
| | - Alfredo Pérez-de-Mora
- Institute of Groundwater Ecology , Helmholtz Zentrum München , Ingolstädter Landstrasse 1 , 85764 Neuherberg , Germany
| | - Armin H Meyer
- Institute of Groundwater Ecology , Helmholtz Zentrum München , Ingolstädter Landstrasse 1 , 85764 Neuherberg , Germany
| | - Martina Daubmeier
- Institute of Groundwater Ecology , Helmholtz Zentrum München , Ingolstädter Landstrasse 1 , 85764 Neuherberg , Germany
| | - Elizabeth A Edwards
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry , University of Toronto , Toronto , Ontario M5S 3E5 , Canada
| | - Ivonne Nijenhuis
- Department for Isotope Biogeochemistry , Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research, UFZ , Permoserstrasse 15 , 04318 Leipzig , Germany
| | | | - Martin Elsner
- Institute of Groundwater Ecology , Helmholtz Zentrum München , Ingolstädter Landstrasse 1 , 85764 Neuherberg , Germany
- Chair of Analytical Chemistry and Water Chemistry , Technical University of Munich , Marchioninistrasse 17 , 81377 Munich , Germany
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18
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Heckel B, Phillips E, Edwards E, Sherwood Lollar B, Elsner M, Manefield MJ, Lee M. Reductive Dehalogenation of Trichloromethane by Two Different Dehalobacter restrictus Strains Reveal Opposing Dual Element Isotope Effects. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2019; 53:2332-2343. [PMID: 30726673 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.8b03717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Trichloromethane (TCM) is a frequently detected and persistent groundwater contaminant. Recent studies have reported that two closely related Dehalobacter strains (UNSWDHB and CF) transform TCM to dichloromethane, with inconsistent carbon isotope effects (ε13CUNSWDHB = -4.3 ± 0.45‰; ε13CCF = -27.5 ± 0.9‰). This study uses dual element compound specific isotope analysis (C; Cl) to explore the underlying differences. TCM transformation experiments using strain CF revealed pronounced normal carbon and chlorine isotope effects (ε13CCF = -27.9 ± 1.7‰; ε37ClCF = -4.2 ± 0.2‰). In contrast, small carbon and unprecedented inverse chlorine isotope effects were observed for strain UNSWDHB (ε13CUNSWDHB = -3.1 ± 0.5‰; ε37ClUNSWDHB = 2.5 ± 0.3‰) leading to opposing dual element isotope slopes (λCF = 6.64 ± 0.14 vs λUNSWDHB = -1.20 ± 0.18). Isotope effects of strain CF were identical to experiments with TCM and Vitamin B12 (ε13CVitamin B12 = -26.0 ± 0.9‰, ε37ClVitamin B12 = -4.0 ± 0.2‰, λVitamin B12 = 6.46 ± 0.20). Comparison to previously reported isotope effects suggests outer-sphere-single-electron transfer or SN2 as possible underlying mechanisms. Cell suspension and cell free extract experiments with strain UNSWDHB were both unable to unmask the intrinsic KIE of the reductive dehalogenase (TmrA) suggesting that enzyme binding and/or mass-transfer into the periplasm were rate-limiting. Nondirected intermolecular interactions of TCM with cellular material were ruled out as reason for the inverse isotope effect by gas/water and gas/hexadecane partitioning experiments indicating specific, yet uncharacterized interactions must be operating prior to catalysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Heckel
- Institute of Groundwater Ecology , Helmholtz Zentrum München , Ingolstädter Landstr. 1 , 85764 Neuherberg , Germany
- Chair of Analytical Chemistry and Water Chemistry , Technical University of Munich , Marchioninistrasse 17 , D-81377 Munich , Germany
| | - Elizabeth Phillips
- Department of Earth Sciences 22 Russell St , University of Toronto , Toronto Ontario M5S 3B1 , Canada
| | - Elizabeth Edwards
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry , University of Toronto , Toronto , Ontario M5S 3E5 , Canada
| | - Barbara Sherwood Lollar
- Department of Earth Sciences 22 Russell St , University of Toronto , Toronto Ontario M5S 3B1 , Canada
| | - Martin Elsner
- Institute of Groundwater Ecology , Helmholtz Zentrum München , Ingolstädter Landstr. 1 , 85764 Neuherberg , Germany
- Chair of Analytical Chemistry and Water Chemistry , Technical University of Munich , Marchioninistrasse 17 , D-81377 Munich , Germany
| | - Michael J Manefield
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Water Research Centre (WRC) , University of New South Wales , Sydney , New South Wales 2052 , Australia
| | - Matthew Lee
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Water Research Centre (WRC) , University of New South Wales , Sydney , New South Wales 2052 , Australia
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19
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Herrero J, Puigserver D, Nijenhuis I, Kuntze K, Carmona JM. Combined use of ISCR and biostimulation techniques in incomplete processes of reductive dehalogenation of chlorinated solvents. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 648:819-829. [PMID: 30138882 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.08.184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2018] [Revised: 08/16/2018] [Accepted: 08/16/2018] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jofre Herrero
- Department of Minerology, Petrology and Applied Geology, Faculty of Earth Sciences, University of Barcelona, Carrer Martí Franquès SN, Barcelona, Spain..
| | - Diana Puigserver
- Department of Minerology, Petrology and Applied Geology, Faculty of Earth Sciences, University of Barcelona, Carrer Martí Franquès SN, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ivonne Nijenhuis
- Department of Isotope Biogeochemistry (ISOBIO), UFZ Centre for Environmental Research Leipzig-Halle, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Kevin Kuntze
- Department of Isotope Biogeochemistry (ISOBIO), UFZ Centre for Environmental Research Leipzig-Halle, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - José M Carmona
- Department of Minerology, Petrology and Applied Geology, Faculty of Earth Sciences, University of Barcelona, Carrer Martí Franquès SN, Barcelona, Spain
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20
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Rodríguez-Fernández D, Torrentó C, Palau J, Marchesi M, Soler A, Hunkeler D, Domènech C, Rosell M. Unravelling long-term source removal effects and chlorinated methanes natural attenuation processes by C and Cl stable isotopic patterns at a complex field site. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 645:286-296. [PMID: 30029110 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.07.130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2018] [Revised: 07/10/2018] [Accepted: 07/10/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The effects of contaminant sources removal in 2005 (i.e. barrels, tank, pit and wastewater pipe sources) on carbon tetrachloride (CT) and chloroform (CF) concentration in groundwater were assessed at several areas of a fractured multi-contaminant aquifer (Òdena, Spain) over a long-term period (2010-2014). Changes in redox conditions, in these chlorinated methanes (CMs) concentration and in their carbon isotopic compositions (δ13C) were monitored in multilevel wells. δ13C values from these wells were compared to those obtained from sources (barrels, tank and pit before their removal, 2002-2005) and to commercial solvents values in literature. Additionally, CMs natural attenuation processes were identified by C-Cl isotope slopes (Λ). Analyses revealed the downstream migration of the pollutant focus and an efficient removal of DNAPLs in the pit source's influence area. However, the removal of the contaminated soil from former tank and wastewater pipe was incomplete as leaching from unsaturated zone was proved, evidencing these areas are still active sources. Nevertheless, significant CMs degradation was detected close to all sources and Λ values pointed to different reactions. For CT in the tank area, Λ value fitted with hydrogenolysis pathway although other possible reduction processes were also uncovered. Near the wastewater pipe area, CT thiolytic reduction combined with hydrogenolysis was derived. The highest CT degradation extent accounted for these areas was 72 ± 11% and 84 ± 6%, respectively. For CF, the Λ value in the pit source's area was consistent with oxidation and/or with transport of CF affected by alkaline hydrolysis from upstream interception trenches. In contrast, isotope data evidenced CF reduction in the tank and wastewater pipe influence areas, although the observed Λ slightly deviates from the reference values, likely due to the continuous leaching of CF degraded in the non-saturated zone by a mechanism different from reduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Rodríguez-Fernández
- Grup MAiMA, Mineralogia Aplicada, Geoquímica i Geomicrobiologia, Departament de Mineralogia, Petrologia i Geologia Aplicada, Facultat de Ciències de la Terra, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), C/Martí i Franquès s/n, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Clara Torrentó
- Grup MAiMA, Mineralogia Aplicada, Geoquímica i Geomicrobiologia, Departament de Mineralogia, Petrologia i Geologia Aplicada, Facultat de Ciències de la Terra, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), C/Martí i Franquès s/n, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; Centre for Hydrogeology and Geothermics, University of Neuchâtel, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Jordi Palau
- Grup MAiMA, Mineralogia Aplicada, Geoquímica i Geomicrobiologia, Departament de Mineralogia, Petrologia i Geologia Aplicada, Facultat de Ciències de la Terra, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), C/Martí i Franquès s/n, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; Centre for Hydrogeology and Geothermics, University of Neuchâtel, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland; Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), CSIC, Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain; Associated Unit: Hydrogeology Group (UPC-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Massimo Marchesi
- Grup MAiMA, Mineralogia Aplicada, Geoquímica i Geomicrobiologia, Departament de Mineralogia, Petrologia i Geologia Aplicada, Facultat de Ciències de la Terra, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), C/Martí i Franquès s/n, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; Politecnico di Milano, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering (DICA), Piazza L. Da Vinci, 32, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Albert Soler
- Grup MAiMA, Mineralogia Aplicada, Geoquímica i Geomicrobiologia, Departament de Mineralogia, Petrologia i Geologia Aplicada, Facultat de Ciències de la Terra, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), C/Martí i Franquès s/n, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Daniel Hunkeler
- Centre for Hydrogeology and Geothermics, University of Neuchâtel, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Cristina Domènech
- Grup MAiMA, Mineralogia Aplicada, Geoquímica i Geomicrobiologia, Departament de Mineralogia, Petrologia i Geologia Aplicada, Facultat de Ciències de la Terra, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), C/Martí i Franquès s/n, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mònica Rosell
- Grup MAiMA, Mineralogia Aplicada, Geoquímica i Geomicrobiologia, Departament de Mineralogia, Petrologia i Geologia Aplicada, Facultat de Ciències de la Terra, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), C/Martí i Franquès s/n, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
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21
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Wanner P, Parker BL, Chapman SW, Lima G, Gilmore A, Mack EE, Aravena R. Identification of Degradation Pathways of Chlorohydrocarbons in Saturated Low-Permeability Sediments Using Compound-Specific Isotope Analysis. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2018; 52:7296-7306. [PMID: 29865795 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.8b01173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
This study aims to investigate whether compound-specific carbon isotope analysis (CSIA) can be used to differentiate the degradation pathways of chlorohydrocarbons in saturated low-permeability sediments. For that purpose, a site was selected, where a complex mixture of chlorohydrocarbons contaminated an aquifer-aquitard system. Almost 50 years after contaminant releases, high-resolution concentration, CSIA, and microbial profiles were determined. The CSIA profiles showed that in the aquitard cis-dichloroethene (cDCE), first considered as a degradation product of trichloroethene (TCE), is produced by the dichloroelimination of 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane (TeCA). In contrast, TeCA degrades to TCE via dehydrohalogenation in the aquifer, indicating that the aquifer-aquitard interface separates two different degradation pathways for TeCA. Moreover, the CSIA profiles showed that chloroform (CF) is degraded to dichloromethane (DCM) via hydrogenolysis in the aquitard and, to a minor degree, produced by the degradation of carbon tetrachloride (CT). Several microorganisms capable of degrading chlorohydrocarbons were detected in the aquitard, suggesting that aquitard degradation is microbially mediated. Furthermore, numerical simulations reproduced the aquitard concentration and CSIA profiles well, which allowed the determination of degradation rates for each transformation pathway. This improves the prediction of contaminant fate in the aquitard and potential magnitude of impacts on the adjacent aquifer due to back-diffusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Wanner
- G360 Institute for Groundwater Research, College of Engineering and Physical Sciences , University of Guelph , 50 Stone Road East , Guelph , Ontario , Canada N1G 2W1
| | - Beth L Parker
- G360 Institute for Groundwater Research, College of Engineering and Physical Sciences , University of Guelph , 50 Stone Road East , Guelph , Ontario , Canada N1G 2W1
| | - Steven W Chapman
- G360 Institute for Groundwater Research, College of Engineering and Physical Sciences , University of Guelph , 50 Stone Road East , Guelph , Ontario , Canada N1G 2W1
| | - Glaucia Lima
- G360 Institute for Groundwater Research, College of Engineering and Physical Sciences , University of Guelph , 50 Stone Road East , Guelph , Ontario , Canada N1G 2W1
- Department of Civil Engineering , University of Toronto , 35 Saint George Street , Toronto , Ontario , Canada , M5S 1A4
| | - Adam Gilmore
- G360 Institute for Groundwater Research, College of Engineering and Physical Sciences , University of Guelph , 50 Stone Road East , Guelph , Ontario , Canada N1G 2W1
- Regional Municipality of Halton , 1151 Bronte Road , Oakville , Ontario , Canada L6M 3L1
| | - E Erin Mack
- DuPont , 974 Centre Road , Wilmington , Delaware 19805 , United States
| | - Ramon Aravena
- G360 Institute for Groundwater Research, College of Engineering and Physical Sciences , University of Guelph , 50 Stone Road East , Guelph , Ontario , Canada N1G 2W1
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences , University of Waterloo , 200 University Avenue West , Waterloo , Ontario , Canada N2L 3GI
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22
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Segal DC, Kuder T, Kolhatkar R. Assessment of anaerobic biodegradation of bis(2-chloroethyl) ether in groundwater using carbon and chlorine compound-specific isotope analysis. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 625:696-705. [PMID: 29306157 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.12.246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2017] [Revised: 12/18/2017] [Accepted: 12/21/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Carbon and chlorine compound specific isotope analysis (CSIA) of bis(2-chloroethyl) ether (BCEE) was performed to distinguish the primary processes contributing to observed concentration reductions in an anaerobic groundwater plume. Laboratory microcosms were constructed to demonstrate and obtain isotopic enrichment factors and dual-element CSIA trends from two potential transformation processes (1) anaerobic biodegradation using saturated sediment samples from the field site (εC=-14.8 and εCl=-5.0) and (2) abiotic reactions with sulfide nucleophiles in water (εC=-12.8 and εCl=-5.0). The results suggested a nucleophilic, SN2-type dechlorination as the mechanism of biodegradation of BCEE. Identical dual-element CSIA trends observed in the field and in the microcosm samples suggested that the same degradation mechanism was responsible for BCEE degradation in the field. While biodegradation was the likely dominant mechanism of BCEE mass destruction in the aquifer, potential contribution of abiotic hydrolysis to the net budget of degradation could not be confidently excluded. To our knowledge, this is the first unequivocal demonstration of BCEE biodegradation at a field site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel C Segal
- Chevron Energy Technology Company, San Ramon, CA, United States
| | - Tomasz Kuder
- School of Geology and Geophysics, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, United States
| | - Ravi Kolhatkar
- Chevron Energy Technology Company, Houston, TX, United States.
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23
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Heckel B, McNeill K, Elsner M. Chlorinated Ethene Reactivity with Vitamin B12 Is Governed by Cobalamin Chloroethylcarbanions as Crossroads of Competing Pathways. ACS Catal 2018. [DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.7b02945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Heckel
- Institute of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
- Chair of Analytical Chemistry and Water Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, Marchioninistrasse 17, D-81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Kristopher McNeill
- Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics (IBP), ETH Zurich, CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Martin Elsner
- Institute of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
- Chair of Analytical Chemistry and Water Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, Marchioninistrasse 17, D-81377 Munich, Germany
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24
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Woods A, Kuntze K, Gelman F, Halicz L, Nijenhuis I. Variable dual carbon-bromine stable isotope fractionation during enzyme-catalyzed reductive dehalogenation of brominated ethenes. CHEMOSPHERE 2018; 190:211-217. [PMID: 28987410 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.09.128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2017] [Revised: 09/13/2017] [Accepted: 09/26/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The potential of compound-specific stable isotope analysis (CSIA) to characterize biotransformation of brominated organic compounds (BOCs) was assessed and compared to chlorinated analogues. Sulfurospirillum multivorans and Desulfitobacterium hafniense PCE-S catalyzed the dehalogenation of tribromoethene (TBE) to either vinyl bromide (VB) or ethene, respectively. Significantly lower isotope fractionation was observed for TBE dehalogenation by S. multivorans (εC = -1.3 ± 0.2‰) compared to D. hafniense (εC = -7.7 ± 1.5‰). However, higher fractionation was observed for dibromoethene (DBE) dehalogenation by S. multivorans (εC = -16.8 ± 1.8‰ and -21.2 ± 1.6‰ for trans- and cis-1,2- (DBE) respectively), compared to D. hafniense PCE-S (εC = -9.5 ± 1.2‰ and -14.5 ± 0.7‰ for trans-1,2-DBE and cis-1,2-DBE, respectively). Significant, but similar, bromine fractionation was observed for for S. multivorans (εBr = -0.53 ± 0.15‰, -1.03 ± 0.26‰, and -1.18 ± 0.13‰ for trans-1,2-DBE, cis-1,2-DBE and TBE, respectively) and D. hafniense PCE-S (εBr = -0.97 ± 0.28‰, -1.16 ± 0.36‰, and -1.34 ± 0.32‰ for cis-1,2-DBE, TBE and trans-1,2-DBE, respectively). Variable CBr dual-element slopes were estimated at Λ (εC/εBr) = 1.03 ± 0.2, 17.9 ± 5.8, and 29.9 ± 11.0 for S. multivorans debrominating TBE, cis-1,2-DBE and trans-1,2-DBE, respectively, and at 7.14 ± 1.6, 8.27 ± 3.7, and 8.92 ± 2.4 for D. hafniense PCE-S debrominating trans-1,2-DBE, TBE and cis-1,2-DBE, respectively. A high variability in isotope fractionation, which was substrate property related, was observed for S. multivorans but not D. hafniense, similar as observed for chlorinated ethenes, and may be due to rate-limiting steps preceding the bond-cleavage or differences in the reaction mechanism. Overall, significant isotope fractionation was observed and, therefore, CSIA can be applied to monitor the fate of brominated ethenes in the environment. Isotope effects differences, however, are not systematically comparable to chlorinated ethenes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Woods
- Department for Isotope Biogeochemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Permoserstrasse 15, D-04318, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Kevin Kuntze
- Department for Isotope Biogeochemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Permoserstrasse 15, D-04318, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Faina Gelman
- Geological Survey of Israel, 30 Malkhe Israel St., Jerusalem, 95501, Israel
| | - Ludwik Halicz
- Geological Survey of Israel, 30 Malkhe Israel St., Jerusalem, 95501, Israel; Faculty of Chemistry, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, Żwirki i Wigury 101, 02-089, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Ivonne Nijenhuis
- Department for Isotope Biogeochemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Permoserstrasse 15, D-04318, Leipzig, Germany.
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25
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Leitner S, Berger H, Gorfer M, Reichenauer TG, Watzinger A. Isotopic effects of PCE induced by organohalide-respiring bacteria. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2017; 24:24803-24815. [PMID: 28913587 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-017-0075-2] [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: 03/31/2017] [Accepted: 09/01/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Reductive dechlorination performed by organohalide-respiring bacteria (OHRB) enables the complete detoxification of certain emerging groundwater pollutants such as perchloroethene (PCE). Environmental samples from a contaminated site incubated in a lab-scale microcosm (MC) study enable documentation of such reductive dechlorination processes. As compound-specific isotope analysis is used to monitor PCE degradation processes, nucleic acid analysis-like 16S-rDNA analysis-can be used to determine the key OHRB that are present. This study applied both methods to laboratory MCs prepared from environmental samples to investigate OHRB-specific isotope enrichment at PCE dechlorination. This method linkage can enhance the understanding of isotope enrichment patterns of distinct OHRB, which further contribute to more accurate evaluation, characterisation and prospection of natural attenuation processes. Results identified three known OHRB genera (Dehalogenimonas, Desulfuromonas, Geobacter) in diverse abundance within MCs. One species of Dehalogenimonas was potentially involved in complete reductive dechlorination of PCE to ethene. Furthermore, the isotopic effects of PCE degradation were clustered and two isotope enrichment factors (ε) (- 11.6‰, - 1.7‰) were obtained. Notably, ε values were independent of degradation rates and kinetics, but did reflect the genera of the dechlorinating OHRB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Leitner
- AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Energy Department, Environmental Resources & Technologies, Konrad-Lorenz-Str. 24, 3430, Tulln, Austria
| | - Harald Berger
- AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Health & Environment Department, Bioresources, Konrad-Lorenz-Str. 24, 3430, Tulln, Austria
| | - Markus Gorfer
- AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Health & Environment Department, Bioresources, Konrad-Lorenz-Str. 24, 3430, Tulln, Austria
| | - Thomas G Reichenauer
- AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Energy Department, Environmental Resources & Technologies, Konrad-Lorenz-Str. 24, 3430, Tulln, Austria
| | - Andrea Watzinger
- AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Energy Department, Environmental Resources & Technologies, Konrad-Lorenz-Str. 24, 3430, Tulln, Austria.
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26
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Doğan-Subaşı E, Elsner M, Qiu S, Cretnik S, Atashgahi S, Shouakar-Stash O, Boon N, Dejonghe W, Bastiaens L. Contrasting dual (C, Cl) isotope fractionation offers potential to distinguish reductive chloroethene transformation from breakdown by permanganate. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2017; 596-597:169-177. [PMID: 28431360 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.03.292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2017] [Revised: 03/31/2017] [Accepted: 03/31/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
cis-1,2-Dichloroethene (cis-DCE) and trichloroethene (TCE) are persistent, toxic and mobile pollutants in groundwater systems. They are both conducive to reductive dehalogenation and to oxidation by permanganate. In this study, the potential of dual element (C, Cl) compound specific isotope analyses (CSIA) for distinguishing between chemical oxidation and anaerobic reductive dechlorination of cis-DCE and TCE was investigated. Well-controlled cis-DCE degradation batch tests gave similar carbon isotope enrichment factors εC (‰), but starkly contrasting dual element isotope slopes Δδ13C/Δδ37Cl for permanganate oxidation (εC=-26‰±6‰, Δδ13C/Δδ37Cl≈-125±47) compared to reductive dechlorination (εC=-18‰±4‰, Δδ13C/Δδ37Cl≈4.5±3.4). The difference can be tracked down to distinctly different chlorine isotope fractionation: an inverse isotope effect during chemical oxidation (εCl=+0.2‰±0.1‰) compared to a large normal isotope effect in reductive dechlorination (εCl=-3.3‰±0.9‰) (p≪0.05). A similar trend was observed for TCE. The dual isotope approach was evaluated in the field before and up to 443days after a pilot scale permanganate injection in the subsurface. Our study indicates, for the first time, the potential of the dual element isotope approach for distinguishing cis-DCE (and TCE) concentration drops caused by dilution, oxidation by permanganate and reductive dechlorination both at laboratory and field scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eylem Doğan-Subaşı
- Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Separation and Conversion Technology, Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium; Laboratory of Microbial Ecology and Technology (LabMET), Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Martin Elsner
- Institute of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum München-National Research Center for Environmental Health, Ingolstädter Landstrasse 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Shiran Qiu
- Institute of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum München-National Research Center for Environmental Health, Ingolstädter Landstrasse 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Stefan Cretnik
- Institute of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum München-National Research Center for Environmental Health, Ingolstädter Landstrasse 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Siavash Atashgahi
- Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Separation and Conversion Technology, Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium
| | - Orfan Shouakar-Stash
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue W., Waterloo, Ont. N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Nico Boon
- Laboratory of Microbial Ecology and Technology (LabMET), Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Winnie Dejonghe
- Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Separation and Conversion Technology, Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium
| | - Leen Bastiaens
- Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Separation and Conversion Technology, Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium.
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27
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Heckel B, Cretnik S, Kliegman S, Shouakar-Stash O, McNeill K, Elsner M. Reductive Outer-Sphere Single Electron Transfer Is an Exception Rather than the Rule in Natural and Engineered Chlorinated Ethene Dehalogenation. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2017; 51:9663-9673. [PMID: 28727446 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.7b01447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Chlorinated ethenes (CEs) such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene and dichloroethylene are notorious groundwater contaminants. Although reductive dehalogenation is key to their environmental and engineered degradation, underlying reaction mechanisms remain elusive. Outer-sphere reductive single electron transfer (OS-SET) has been proposed for such different processes as Vitamin B12-dependent biodegradation and zerovalent metal-mediated dehalogenation. Compound-specific isotope effect (13C/12C, 37Cl/35Cl) analysis offers a new opportunity to test these hypotheses. Defined OS-SET model reactants (CO2 radical anions, S2--doped graphene oxide in water) caused strong carbon (εC = -7.9‰ to -11.9‰), but negligible chlorine isotope effects (εCl = -0.12‰ to 0.04‰) in CEs. Greater chlorine isotope effects were observed in CHCl3 (εC = -7.7‰, εCl = -2.6‰), and in CEs when the exergonicity of C-Cl bond cleavage was reduced in an organic solvent (reaction with arene radical anions in glyme). Together, this points to dissociative OS-SET (SET to a σ* orbital concerted with C-Cl breakage) in alkanes compared to stepwise OS-SET (SET to a π* orbital followed by C-Cl cleavage) in ethenes. The nonexistent chlorine isotope effects of chlorinated ethenes in all aqueous OS-SET experiments contrast strongly with pronounced Cl isotope fractionation in all natural and engineered reductive dehalogenations reported to date suggesting that OS-SET is an exception rather than the rule in environmental transformations of chlorinated ethenes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Heckel
- Institute of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum München , Ingolstädter Landstrasse 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Stefan Cretnik
- Institute of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum München , Ingolstädter Landstrasse 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Sarah Kliegman
- W. M. Keck Science Department, Claremont McKenna, Pitzer, and Scripps Colleges , Claremont, California 91711, United States
| | - Orfan Shouakar-Stash
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Waterloo , Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1
| | - Kristopher McNeill
- Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics (IBP), ETH Zurich , CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Martin Elsner
- Institute of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum München , Ingolstädter Landstrasse 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
- Chair of Analytical Chemistry and Water Chemistry, Technical University of Munich , Marchioninistrasse 17, D-81377 Munich, Germany
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28
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Heckel B, Rodríguez-Fernández D, Torrentó C, Meyer A, Palau J, Domènech C, Rosell M, Soler A, Hunkeler D, Elsner M. Compound-Specific Chlorine Isotope Analysis of Tetrachloromethane and Trichloromethane by Gas Chromatography-Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry vs Gas Chromatography-Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry: Method Development and Evaluation of Precision and Trueness. Anal Chem 2017; 89:3411-3420. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.6b04129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Heckel
- Institute
of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstädter Landstrasse 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Diana Rodríguez-Fernández
- Grup
de Mineralogia Aplicada i Geoquímica de Fluids, Departament
de Mineralogia, Petrologia i Geologia Aplicada, Facultat de Ciències
de la Terra, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), C/Martí i Franquès,
s/n 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Clara Torrentó
- Centre
d’Hydrogéologie et de Géothermie (CHYN), Université de Neuchâtel (UNINE), Rue Emile-Argand 11, Neuchâtel 2000, Switzerland
| | - Armin Meyer
- Institute
of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstädter Landstrasse 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Jordi Palau
- Grup
de Mineralogia Aplicada i Geoquímica de Fluids, Departament
de Mineralogia, Petrologia i Geologia Aplicada, Facultat de Ciències
de la Terra, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), C/Martí i Franquès,
s/n 08028, Barcelona, Spain
- Centre
d’Hydrogéologie et de Géothermie (CHYN), Université de Neuchâtel (UNINE), Rue Emile-Argand 11, Neuchâtel 2000, Switzerland
| | - Cristina Domènech
- Grup
de Mineralogia Aplicada i Geoquímica de Fluids, Departament
de Mineralogia, Petrologia i Geologia Aplicada, Facultat de Ciències
de la Terra, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), C/Martí i Franquès,
s/n 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mònica Rosell
- Grup
de Mineralogia Aplicada i Geoquímica de Fluids, Departament
de Mineralogia, Petrologia i Geologia Aplicada, Facultat de Ciències
de la Terra, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), C/Martí i Franquès,
s/n 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Albert Soler
- Grup
de Mineralogia Aplicada i Geoquímica de Fluids, Departament
de Mineralogia, Petrologia i Geologia Aplicada, Facultat de Ciències
de la Terra, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), C/Martí i Franquès,
s/n 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Daniel Hunkeler
- Centre
d’Hydrogéologie et de Géothermie (CHYN), Université de Neuchâtel (UNINE), Rue Emile-Argand 11, Neuchâtel 2000, Switzerland
| | - Martin Elsner
- Institute
of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstädter Landstrasse 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
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29
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Ebert KA, Laskov C, Elsner M, Haderlein SB. Calibration bias of experimentally determined chlorine isotope enrichment factors: the need for a two-point calibration in compound-specific chlorine isotope analysis. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2017; 31:68-74. [PMID: 27689937 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.7752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2016] [Revised: 09/27/2016] [Accepted: 09/28/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE The recent development of compound-specific online chlorine isotope analysis (37 Cl-CSIA) methods has fostered dual chlorine-carbon isotope studies to gain better insights into sources and environmental transformation reactions of chlorinated ethenes. One-point and two-point calibration schemes are currently used to convert raw data to the international δ37 ClSMOC scale, but a critical evaluation of best practices to arrive at reliable δ37 ClSMOC signatures and enrichment factors was missing and is presented here. METHODS Aqueous solutions of neat perchloroethylene and trichloroethylene (TCE) and aqueous samples from a TCE biodegradation experiment with pure cultures of Desulfitobacterium hafniense Y51 were analysed for their chlorine isotope ratios using GC/qMS and GC/IRMS. The δ37 ClSMOC values were obtained using one-point and two-point calibration schemes. Chlorine isotope enrichment factors, εCl , were calculated using both approaches and the corresponding bias of δ37 ClSMOC values introduced by the different types of calibration was determined. RESULTS Different calibration methods resulted in significant differences (up to 30%) in both δ37 Cl signatures and εCl values. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate that a two-point calibration together with comprehensive information on reference materials is indispensable and should become standard practice for reliable 37 Cl-CSIA of organic compounds. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin A Ebert
- Center for Applied Geoscience, University of Tübingen, Hölderlinstr. 12, 72074, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Christine Laskov
- Center for Applied Geoscience, University of Tübingen, Hölderlinstr. 12, 72074, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Martin Elsner
- Institute of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Stefan B Haderlein
- Center for Applied Geoscience, University of Tübingen, Hölderlinstr. 12, 72074, Tübingen, Germany
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30
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Ivdra N, Fischer A, Herrero-Martin S, Giunta T, Bonifacie M, Richnow HH. Carbon, Hydrogen and Chlorine Stable Isotope Fingerprinting for Forensic Investigations of Hexachlorocyclohexanes. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2017; 51:446-454. [PMID: 27936635 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6b03039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Multielemental stable isotope analysis of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) has the potential to characterize sources, sinks, and degradation processes in the environment. To verify the applicability of this approach for source identification of hexachlorocyclohexane (HCHs), we provide a data set of carbon, hydrogen, and chlorine stable isotope ratios (δ13C, δ2H, δ37Cl) of its main stereoisomers (α-, β-, δ- and γ-HCHs) from a sample collection based on worldwide manufacturing. This sample collection comprises production stocks, agricultural and pharmaceutical products, chemical waste dumps, and analytical-grade material, covering the production time period from the late 1960s until now. Stable isotope ratios of HCHs cover the ranges from -233‰ to +1‰, from -35.9‰ to -22.7‰, and from -6.69‰ to +0.54‰ for δ2H, δ13C, and δ37Cl values, respectively. Four groups of samples with distinct multielemental stable isotope fingerprints were differentiated, most probably as a result of purification and isolation processes. No clear temporal trend in the isotope compositions of HCHs was found at the global scale. The multielemental stable isotope fingerprints facilitate the source identification of HCHs at the regional scale and can be used to assess transformation processes. The data set and methodology reported herein provide basic information for the assessment of environmental field sites contaminated with HCHs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalija Ivdra
- Department of Isotope Biogeochemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ , D-04318 Leipzig-Halle, Germany
- Isodetect GmbH , D-04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Sara Herrero-Martin
- Department of Isotope Biogeochemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ , D-04318 Leipzig-Halle, Germany
- Institute of Landscape Biogeochemistry , Leibniz-Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) e.V., D-15374 Müncheberg, Germany
| | - Thomas Giunta
- Equipe Géochimie des Isotopes Stables, Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Université Paris Diderot, UMR 7154 CNRS , 75005 Paris, France
| | - Magali Bonifacie
- Equipe Géochimie des Isotopes Stables, Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Université Paris Diderot, UMR 7154 CNRS , 75005 Paris, France
| | - Hans-Hermann Richnow
- Department of Isotope Biogeochemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ , D-04318 Leipzig-Halle, Germany
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Clark JA, Stotler RL, Frape SK, Illman WA. Compound-Specific Isotope Analyses to Assess TCE Biodegradation in a Fractured Dolomitic Aquifer. GROUND WATER 2017; 55:88-99. [PMID: 27377471 DOI: 10.1111/gwat.12440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2015] [Accepted: 06/02/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The potential for trichloroethene (TCE) biodegradation in a fractured dolomite aquifer at a former chemical disposal site in Smithville, Ontario, Canada, is assessed using chemical analysis and TCE and cis-DCE compound-specific isotope analysis of carbon and chlorine collected over a 16-month period. Groundwater redox conditions change from suboxic to much more reducing environments within and around the plume, indicating that oxidation of organic contaminants and degradation products is occurring at the study site. TCE and cis-DCE were observed in 13 of 14 wells sampled. VC, ethene, and/or ethane were also observed in ten wells, indicating that partial/full dechlorination has occurred. Chlorine isotopic values (δ37 Cl) range between 1.39 to 4.69‰ SMOC for TCE, and 3.57 to 13.86‰ SMOC for cis-DCE. Carbon isotopic values range between -28.9 and -20.7‰ VPDB for TCE, and -26.5 and -11.8‰ VPDB for cis-DCE. In most wells, isotopic values remained steady over the 15-month study. Isotopic enrichment from TCE to cis-DCE varied between 0 and 13‰ for carbon and 1 and 4‰ for chlorine. Calculated chlorine-carbon isotopic enrichment ratios (ϵCl /ϵC ) were 0.18 for TCE and 0.69 for cis-DCE. Combined, isotopic and chemical data indicate very little dechlorination is occurring near the source zone, but suggest bacterially mediated degradation is occurring closer to the edges of the plume.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin A Clark
- Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave W, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | | | - Shaun K Frape
- Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave W, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Walter A Illman
- Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave W, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
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Nijenhuis I, Richnow HH. Stable isotope fractionation concepts for characterizing biotransformation of organohalides. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2016; 41:108-113. [DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2016.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2016] [Revised: 05/23/2016] [Accepted: 06/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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Kuntze K, Kozell A, Richnow HH, Halicz L, Nijenhuis I, Gelman F. Dual Carbon-Bromine Stable Isotope Analysis Allows Distinguishing Transformation Pathways of Ethylene Dibromide. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2016; 50:9855-9863. [PMID: 27526716 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6b01692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The present study investigated dual carbon-bromine isotope fractionation of the common groundwater contaminant ethylene dibromide (EDB) during chemical and biological transformations, including aerobic and anaerobic biodegradation, alkaline hydrolysis, Fenton-like degradation, debromination by Zn(0) and reduced corrinoids. Significantly different correlation of carbon and bromine isotope fractionation (ΛC/Br) was observed not only for the processes following different transformation pathways, but also for abiotic and biotic processes with, the presumed, same formal chemical degradation mechanism. The studied processes resulted in a wide range of ΛC/Br values: ΛC/Br = 30.1 was observed for hydrolysis of EDB in alkaline solution; ΛC/Br between 4.2 and 5.3 were determined for dibromoelimination pathway with reduced corrinoids and Zn(0) particles; EDB biodegradation by Ancylobacter aquaticus and Sulfurospirillum multivorans resulted in ΛC/Br = 10.7 and 2.4, respectively; Fenton-like degradation resulted in carbon isotope fractionation only, leading to ΛC/Br ∞. Calculated carbon apparent kinetic isotope effects ((13)C-AKIE) fell with 1.005 to 1.035 within expected ranges according to the theoretical KIE, however, biotic transformations resulted in weaker carbon isotope effects than respective abiotic transformations. Relatively large bromine isotope effects with (81)Br-AKIE of 1.0012-1.002 and 1.0021-1.004 were observed for nucleophilic substitution and dibromoelimination, respectively, and reveal so far underestimated strong bromine isotope effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Kuntze
- Department of Isotope Biogeochemistry, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ , Permoserstrasse 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Anna Kozell
- Geological Survey of Israel, 30 Malkhei Israel St., Jerusalem, 95501, Israel
| | - Hans H Richnow
- Department of Isotope Biogeochemistry, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ , Permoserstrasse 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ludwik Halicz
- Geological Survey of Israel, 30 Malkhei Israel St., Jerusalem, 95501, Israel
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw , 02-089 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Ivonne Nijenhuis
- Department of Isotope Biogeochemistry, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ , Permoserstrasse 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Faina Gelman
- Geological Survey of Israel, 30 Malkhei Israel St., Jerusalem, 95501, Israel
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Badin A, Broholm MM, Jacobsen CS, Palau J, Dennis P, Hunkeler D. Identification of abiotic and biotic reductive dechlorination in a chlorinated ethene plume after thermal source remediation by means of isotopic and molecular biology tools. JOURNAL OF CONTAMINANT HYDROLOGY 2016; 192:1-19. [PMID: 27318432 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconhyd.2016.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2015] [Revised: 05/06/2016] [Accepted: 05/17/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Thermal tetrachloroethene (PCE) remediation by steam injection in a sandy aquifer led to the release of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from aquifer sediments resulting in more reduced redox conditions, accelerated PCE biodegradation, and changes in microbial populations. These changes were documented by comparing data collected prior to the remediation event and eight years later. Based on the premise that dual C-Cl isotope slopes reflect ongoing degradation pathways, the slopes associated with PCE and TCE suggest the predominance of biotic reductive dechlorination near the source area. PCE was the predominant chlorinated ethene near the source area prior to thermal treatment. After thermal treatment, cDCE became predominant. The biotic contribution to these changes was supported by the presence of Dehalococcoides sp. DNA (Dhc) and Dhc targeted rRNA close to the source area. In contrast, dual C-Cl isotope analysis together with the almost absent VC (13)C depletion in comparison to cDCE (13)C depletion suggested that cDCE was subject to abiotic degradation due to the presence of pyrite, possible surface-bound iron (II) or reduced iron sulphides in the downgradient part of the plume. This interpretation is supported by the relative lack of Dhc in the downgradient part of the plume. The results of this study show that thermal remediation can enhance the biodegradation of chlorinated ethenes, and that this effect can be traced to the mobilisation of DOC due to steam injection. This, in turn, results in more reduced redox conditions which favor active reductive dechlorination and/or may lead to a series of redox reactions which may consecutively trigger biotically induced abiotic degradation. Finally, this study illustrates the valuable complementary application of compound-specific isotopic analysis combined with molecular biology tools to evaluate which biogeochemical processes are taking place in an aquifer contaminated with chlorinated ethenes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Badin
- University of Neuchâtel, Centre for Hydrogeology & Geothermics (CHYN), Rue Emile Argand 11, CH 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Mette M Broholm
- Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Department of Environmental Engineering, Miljøvej, DTU B113, DK 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Carsten S Jacobsen
- Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), Department of Geochemistry, Ø. Voldgade 10, 1350 København K, Denmark
| | - Jordi Palau
- University of Neuchâtel, Centre for Hydrogeology & Geothermics (CHYN), Rue Emile Argand 11, CH 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Philip Dennis
- SiREM, 130 Research Lane, Guelph, Ontario, N1G5G3, Canada
| | - Daniel Hunkeler
- University of Neuchâtel, Centre for Hydrogeology & Geothermics (CHYN), Rue Emile Argand 11, CH 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
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Montelius M, Svensson T, Lourino-Cabana B, Thiry Y, Bastviken D. Chlorination and dechlorination rates in a forest soil - A combined modelling and experimental approach. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2016; 554-555:203-210. [PMID: 26950634 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.02.208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2015] [Revised: 02/29/2016] [Accepted: 02/29/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Much of the total pool of chlorine (Cl) in soil consists of naturally produced organic chlorine (Clorg). The chlorination of bulk organic matter at substantial rates has been experimentally confirmed in various soil types. The subsequent fates of Clorg are important for ecosystem Cl cycling and residence times. As most previous research into dechlorination in soils has examined either single substances or specific groups of compounds, we lack information about overall bulk dechlorination rates. Here we assessed bulk organic matter chlorination and dechlorination rates in coniferous forest soil based on a radiotracer experiment conducted under various environmental conditions (additional water, labile organic matter, and ammonium nitrate). Experiment results were used to develop a model to estimate specific chlorination (i.e., fraction of Cl(-) transformed to Clorg per time unit) and specific dechlorination (i.e., fraction of Clorg transformed to Cl(-) per time unit) rates. The results indicate that chlorination and dechlorination occurred simultaneously under all tested environmental conditions. Specific chlorination rates ranged from 0.0005 to 0.01 d(-1) and were hampered by nitrogen fertilization but were otherwise similar among the treatments. Specific dechlorination rates were 0.01-0.03d(-1) and were similar among all treatments. This study finds that soil Clorg levels result from a dynamic equilibrium between the chlorination and rapid dechlorination of some Clorg compounds, while another Clorg pool is dechlorinated more slowly. Altogether, this study demonstrates a highly active Cl cycling in soils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malin Montelius
- Department of Thematic Studies - Environmental Change, Linköping University, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden.
| | - Teresia Svensson
- Department of Thematic Studies - Environmental Change, Linköping University, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden
| | | | - Yves Thiry
- Andra, Research and Development Division, Parc de la Croix Blanche, 1/7 rue Jean Monnet, 92298 Châtenay-Malabry Cedex, France
| | - David Bastviken
- Department of Thematic Studies - Environmental Change, Linköping University, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden
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Nijenhuis I, Kuntze K. Anaerobic microbial dehalogenation of organohalides — state of the art and remediation strategies. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2016; 38:33-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2015.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2015] [Accepted: 11/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Bioremediation of Hydrocarbons and Chlorinated Solvents in Groundwater: Characterisation, Design and Performance Assessment. SPRINGER PROTOCOLS HANDBOOKS 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/8623_2016_207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
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Miska ME, Shouakar-Stash O, Holmstrand H. Stable chlorine isotope analysis of chlorinated acetic acids using gas chromatography/quadrupole mass spectrometry. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2015; 29:2341-2348. [PMID: 26563705 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.7407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2015] [Revised: 09/23/2015] [Accepted: 09/23/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE The environmental occurrence of chlorinated acetic acids (CAAs) has been extensively studied, but the sources and transport are still not yet fully understood. A promising approach for source apportionment and process studies is the isotopic characterization of target compounds. We present the first on-line stable chlorine isotope analysis of CAAs by use of gas chromatography/quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC/qMS). METHODS Following approved procedures for concentration analysis, CAAs extracted into MTBE were methylated to GC-amenable methyl esters (mCAAs). These mCAAs were then analyzed by GC/qMS for their stable chlorine isotope composition using a sample/standard-bracketing approach (CAA standards in the range δ(37) Cl -6.3 to -0.2 ‰, Standard Mean Ocean Chloride). RESULTS Cross-calibration of the herein presented method with off-line reference methods (thermal ionization and continuous-flow GC isotope ratio mass spectrometry; TI-MS and CF-GC/IRMS, respectively) shows good agreement between the methods (regression slope for GC/qMS vs reference method data sets: 0.92 ± 0.29). Sample amounts as small as 10 pmol Cl can herewith be analyzed with a precision of 0.1 to 0.4 ‰. CONCLUSIONS This method should be useful for environmental studies of CAAs at ambient concentrations in precipitations (<0.06 to 100 nmol L(-1) ), surface waters (<0.2 to 5 nmol L(-1) ) and soil (<0.6 to 2000 nmol kg(-1) dry soil) where conventional off-line methods cannot be applied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milena E Miska
- Department of Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Orfan Shouakar-Stash
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
- Isotope Tracer Technologies Inc, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Henry Holmstrand
- Department of Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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Audí-Miró C, Cretnik S, Torrentó C, Rosell M, Shouakar-Stash O, Otero N, Palau J, Elsner M, Soler A. C, Cl and H compound-specific isotope analysis to assess natural versus Fe(0) barrier-induced degradation of chlorinated ethenes at a contaminated site. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2015; 299:747-754. [PMID: 26248540 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2015.06.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2014] [Revised: 05/18/2015] [Accepted: 06/19/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Compound-specific isotopic analysis of multiple elements (C, Cl, H) was tested to better assess the effect of a zero-valent iron-permeable reactive barrier (ZVI-PRB) installation at a site contaminated with tetrachloroethene (PCE) and trichloroethene (TCE). The focus was on (1) using (13)C to evaluate natural chlorinated ethene biodegradation and the ZVI-PRB efficiency; (2) using dual element (13)C-(37)Cl isotopic analysis to distinguish biotic from abiotic degradation of cis-dichloroethene (cis-DCE); and (3) using (13)C-(37)Cl-(2)H isotopic analysis of cis-DCE and TCE to elucidate different contaminant sources. Both biodegradation and degradation by ZVI-PRB were indicated by the metabolites that were detected and the (13)C data, with a quantitative estimate of the ZVI-PRB efficiency of less than 10% for PCE. Dual element (13)C-(37)Cl isotopic plots confirmed that biodegradation was the main process at the site including the ZVI-PRB area. Based on the carbon isotope data, approximately 45% and 71% of PCE and TCE, respectively, were estimated to be removed by biodegradation. (2)H combined with (13)C and (37)Cl seems to have identified two discrete sources contributing to the contaminant plume, indicating the potential of δ(2)H to discriminate whether a compound is of industrial origin, or whether a compound is formed as a daughter product during degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carme Audí-Miró
- Grup de Mineralogia Aplicada i Medi Ambient, Departament de Cristal.lografia, Mineralogia i Dipòsits Minerals, Facultat de Geologia, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Martí Franquès s/n, 08028, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Stefan Cretnik
- Institute of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum München-National Research Center for Environmental Health, Ingolstädter Landstrasse 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Clara Torrentó
- Grup de Mineralogia Aplicada i Medi Ambient, Departament de Cristal.lografia, Mineralogia i Dipòsits Minerals, Facultat de Geologia, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Martí Franquès s/n, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mònica Rosell
- Grup de Mineralogia Aplicada i Medi Ambient, Departament de Cristal.lografia, Mineralogia i Dipòsits Minerals, Facultat de Geologia, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Martí Franquès s/n, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Orfan Shouakar-Stash
- Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences, 200 University Ave. W, N2L 3G1 Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Neus Otero
- Grup de Mineralogia Aplicada i Medi Ambient, Departament de Cristal.lografia, Mineralogia i Dipòsits Minerals, Facultat de Geologia, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Martí Franquès s/n, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordi Palau
- Université de Neuchâtel, CHYN - Centre d'Hydrogéologie, Rue Emile-Argand 11, CH-2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Martin Elsner
- Institute of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum München-National Research Center for Environmental Health, Ingolstädter Landstrasse 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Albert Soler
- Grup de Mineralogia Aplicada i Medi Ambient, Departament de Cristal.lografia, Mineralogia i Dipòsits Minerals, Facultat de Geologia, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Martí Franquès s/n, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
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Application of non-traditional stable isotopes in analytical ecogeochemistry assessed by MC ICP-MS - A critical review. Anal Bioanal Chem 2015; 408:369-85. [DOI: 10.1007/s00216-015-9025-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2015] [Revised: 08/25/2015] [Accepted: 09/02/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Xu Y, He Y, Zhang Q, Xu J, Crowley D. Coupling between Pentachlorophenol Dechlorination and Soil Redox As Revealed by Stable Carbon Isotope, Microbial Community Structure, and Biogeochemical Data. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2015; 49:5425-5433. [PMID: 25853431 DOI: 10.1021/es505040c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Carbon isotopic analysis and molecular-based methods were used in conjunction with geochemical data sets to assess the dechlorination of pentachlorophenol (PCP) when coupled to biogeochemical processes in a mangrove soil having no prior history of anthropogenic contamination. The PCP underwent 96% dechlorination in soil amended with acetate, compared to 21% dehalogenation in control soil. Carbon isotope analysis of residual PCP demonstrated an obvious enrichment of 13C (εC, -3.01±0.1%). Molecular and statistical analyses demonstrated that PCP dechlorination and Fe(III) reduction were synergistically combined electron-accepting processes. Microbial community analysis further suggested that enhanced dechlorination of PCP during Fe(III) reduction was mediated by members of the multifunctional family of Geobacteraceae. In contrast, PCP significantly suppressed the growth of SO4(2-) reducers, which, in turn, facilitated the production of CH4 by diversion of electrons from SO4(2-) reduction to methanogenesis. The integrated data regarding stoichiometric alterations in this study gives direct evidence showing PCP, Fe(III), and SO4(2-) reduction, and CH4 production are coupled microbial processes during changes in soil redox.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Xu
- †Institute of Soil and Water Resources and Environmental Science, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Subtropical Soil and Plant Nutrition, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yan He
- †Institute of Soil and Water Resources and Environmental Science, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Subtropical Soil and Plant Nutrition, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Qian Zhang
- †Institute of Soil and Water Resources and Environmental Science, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Subtropical Soil and Plant Nutrition, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Jianming Xu
- †Institute of Soil and Water Resources and Environmental Science, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Subtropical Soil and Plant Nutrition, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - David Crowley
- ‡Department of Environmental Sciences, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, United States
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42
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Renpenning J, Keller S, Cretnik S, Shouakar-Stash O, Elsner M, Schubert T, Nijenhuis I. Combined C and Cl isotope effects indicate differences between corrinoids and enzyme (Sulfurospirillum multivorans PceA) in reductive dehalogenation of tetrachloroethene, but not trichloroethene. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2014; 48:11837-11845. [PMID: 25216120 DOI: 10.1021/es503306g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The role of the corrinoid cofactor in reductive dehalogenation catalysis by tetrachloroethene reductive dehalogenase (PceA) of Sulfurospirillum multivorans was investigated using isotope analysis of carbon and chlorine. Crude extracts containing PceA--harboring either a native norpseudo-B12 or the alternative nor-B12 cofactor--were applied for dehalogenation of tetrachloroethene (PCE) or trichloroethene (TCE), and compared to abiotic dehalogenation with the respective purified corrinoids (norpseudovitamin B12 and norvitamin B12), as well as several commercially available cobalamins and cobinamide. Dehalogenation of TCE resulted in a similar extent of C and Cl isotope fractionation, and in similar dual-element isotope slopes (εC/εCl) of 5.0-5.3 for PceA enzyme and 3.7-4.5 for the corrinoids. Both observations support an identical reaction mechanism. For PCE, in contrast, observed C and Cl isotope fractionation was smaller in enzymatic dehalogenation, and dual-element isotope slopes (2.2-2.8) were distinctly different compared to dehalogenation mediated by corrinoids (4.6-7.0). Remarkably, εC/εCl of PCE depended in addition on the corrinoid type: εC/εCl values of 4.6 and 5.0 for vitamin B12 and norvitamin B12 were significantly different compared to values of 6.9 and 7.0 for norpseudovitamin B12 and dicyanocobinamide. Our results therefore suggest mechanistic and/or kinetic differences in catalytic PCE dehalogenation by enzymes and different corrinoids, whereas such differences were not observed for TCE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Renpenning
- Department for Isotope Biogeochemistry, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ , Permoserstrasse 15, D-04318 Leipzig, Germany
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Palau J, Cretnik S, Shouakar-Stash O, Höche M, Elsner M, Hunkeler D. C and Cl isotope fractionation of 1,2-dichloroethane displays unique δ¹³C/δ³⁷Cl patterns for pathway identification and reveals surprising C-Cl bond involvement in microbial oxidation. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2014; 48:9430-9437. [PMID: 25010210 DOI: 10.1021/es5031917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
This study investigates dual element isotope fractionation during aerobic biodegradation of 1,2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCA) via oxidative cleavage of a C-H bond (Pseudomonas sp. strain DCA1) versus C-Cl bond cleavage by S(N)2 reaction (Xanthobacter autotrophicus GJ10 and Ancylobacter aquaticus AD20). Compound-specific chlorine isotope analysis of 1,2-DCA was performed for the first time, and isotope fractionation (ε(bulk)(Cl)) was determined by measurements of the same samples in three different laboratories using two gas chromatography-isotope ratio mass spectrometry systems and one gas chromatography-quadrupole mass spectrometry system. Strongly pathway-dependent slopes (Δδ13C/Δδ37Cl), 0.78 ± 0.03 (oxidation) and 7.7 ± 0.2 (S(N)2), delineate the potential of the dual isotope approach to identify 1,2-DCA degradation pathways in the field. In contrast to different ε(bulk)(C) values [-3.5 ± 0.1‰ (oxidation) and -31.9 ± 0.7 and -32.0 ± 0.9‰ (S(N)2)], the obtained ε(bulk)(Cl) values were surprisingly similar for the two pathways: -3.8 ± 0.2‰ (oxidation) and -4.2 ± 0.1 and -4.4 ± 0.2‰ (S(N)2). Apparent kinetic isotope effects (AKIEs) of 1.0070 ± 0.0002 (13C-AKIE, oxidation), 1.068 ± 0.001 (13C-AKIE, S(N)2), and 1.0087 ± 0.0002 (37Cl-AKIE, S(N)2) fell within expected ranges. In contrast, an unexpectedly large secondary 37Cl-AKIE of 1.0038 ± 0.0002 reveals a hitherto unrecognized involvement of C-Cl bonds in microbial C-H bond oxidation. Our two-dimensional isotope fractionation patterns allow for the first time reliable 1,2-DCA degradation pathway identification in the field, which unlocks the full potential of isotope applications for this important groundwater contaminant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordi Palau
- Centre for Hydrogeology and Geothermics, University of Neuchâtel , 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
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Badin A, Buttet G, Maillard J, Holliger C, Hunkeler D. Multiple dual C-Cl isotope patterns associated with reductive dechlorination of tetrachloroethene. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2014; 48:9179-9186. [PMID: 25000152 DOI: 10.1021/es500822d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Dual isotope slopes are increasingly used to identify transformation pathways of contaminants. We investigated if reductive dechlorination of tetrachloroethene (PCE) by consortia containing bacteria with different reductive dehalogenases (rdhA) genes can lead to variable dual C-Cl isotope slopes and if different slopes also occur in the field. Two bacterial enrichments harboring Sulfurospirillum spp. but different rdhA genes yielded two distinct δ(13)C to δ(37)Cl slopes of 2.7 ± 0.3 and 0.7 ± 0.2 despite a high similarity in gene sequences. This suggests that PCE reductive dechlorination could be catalyzed according to at least two distinct reaction mechanisms or that rate-limiting steps might vary. At two field sites, two distinct dual isotope slopes of 0.7 ± 0.3 and 3.5 ± 1.6 were obtained, each of which fits one of the laboratory slopes within the range of uncertainty. This study hence provides additional insight into multiple reaction mechanisms underlying PCE reductive dechlorination. It also demonstrates that caution is necessary if a dual isotope approach is used to differentiate between transformation pathways of chlorinated ethenes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Badin
- Centre for Hydrogeology and Geothermics (CHYN), University of Neuchâtel , Rue Emile Argand 11, CH-2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
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Liu Y, Gan Y, Zhou A, Liu C, Li X, Yu T. Carbon and chlorine isotope fractionation during Fenton-like degradation of trichloroethene. CHEMOSPHERE 2014; 107:94-100. [PMID: 24875875 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2014.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2013] [Revised: 02/28/2014] [Accepted: 03/04/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Dual isotope approach has been proposed as a viable tool for characterizing and assessing in situ contaminant transformation, however, little data is currently available on its applicability to chlorinated ethenes. This study determined carbon and chlorine isotope fractionation during Fenton-like degradation of trichloroethene (TCE). Carbon and chlorine isotope enrichment factors were εC=-2.9 ± 0.3‰ and εCl=-0.9 ± 0.1‰, respectively. An observed small secondary chlorine isotope effect (AKIECl=1.001) was consistent with an initial transformation by adding hydroxyl radicals (OH) to CC bonds without cleavage of CCl bonds. The relative change in carbon and chlorine isotope ratios (Δ=Δδ(13)C/Δδ(37)Cl) was calculated to be 3.1 ± 0.2, approximately equal to the ratio of chlorine and carbon isotope enrichment factors (εC/εCl=3.2). The similarity of the Δ (or εC/εCl) values between Fenton-like degradation and microbial reductive dechlorination of TCE was observed, indicating that application of solely dual isotope approach may be limited in distinguishing the two transformation pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunde Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China; School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China.
| | - Yiqun Gan
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China; School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China.
| | - Aiguo Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China; School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China.
| | - Cunfu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China.
| | - Xiaoqian Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China; School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China.
| | - Tingting Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China; School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China.
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Chlorine isotope effects from isotope ratio mass spectrometry suggest intramolecular C-Cl bond competition in trichloroethene (TCE) reductive dehalogenation. Molecules 2014; 19:6450-73. [PMID: 24853618 PMCID: PMC6271514 DOI: 10.3390/molecules19056450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2014] [Revised: 05/12/2014] [Accepted: 05/13/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Chlorinated ethenes are prevalent groundwater contaminants. To better constrain (bio)chemical reaction mechanisms of reductive dechlorination, the position-specificity of reductive trichloroethene (TCE) dehalogenation was investigated. Selective biotransformation reactions (i) of tetrachloroethene (PCE) to TCE in cultures of Desulfitobacterium sp. strain Viet1; and (ii) of TCE to cis-1,2-dichloroethene (cis-DCE) in cultures of Geobacter lovleyi strain SZ were investigated. Compound-average carbon isotope effects were −19.0‰ ± 0.9‰ (PCE) and −12.2‰ ± 1.0‰ (TCE) (95% confidence intervals). Using instrumental advances in chlorine isotope analysis by continuous flow isotope ratio mass spectrometry, compound-average chorine isotope effects were measured for PCE (−5.0‰ ± 0.1‰) and TCE (−3.6‰ ± 0.2‰). In addition, position-specific kinetic chlorine isotope effects were determined from fits of reactant and product isotope ratios. In PCE biodegradation, primary chlorine isotope effects were substantially larger (by −16.3‰ ± 1.4‰ (standard error)) than secondary. In TCE biodegradation, in contrast, the product cis-DCE reflected an average isotope effect of −2.4‰ ± 0.3‰ and the product chloride an isotope effect of −6.5‰ ± 2.5‰, in the original positions of TCE from which the products were formed (95% confidence intervals). A greater difference would be expected for a position-specific reaction (chloride would exclusively reflect a primary isotope effect). These results therefore suggest that both vicinal chlorine substituents of TCE were reactive (intramolecular competition). This finding puts new constraints on mechanistic scenarios and favours either nucleophilic addition by Co(I) or single electron transfer as reductive dehalogenation mechanisms.
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Palau J, Marchesi M, Chambon JCC, Aravena R, Canals À, Binning PJ, Bjerg PL, Otero N, Soler A. Multi-isotope (carbon and chlorine) analysis for fingerprinting and site characterization at a fractured bedrock aquifer contaminated by chlorinated ethenes. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2014; 475:61-70. [PMID: 24419287 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.12.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2013] [Revised: 12/13/2013] [Accepted: 12/14/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The use of compound specific multi-isotope approach (C and Cl) in the characterization of a chlorinated ethenes contaminated fractured aquifer allows the identification of several sources and contaminant plumes, as well as the occurrence of biodegradation and mixing processes. The study site is located in Spain with contamination resulting in groundwater concentrations of up to 50mg/L of trichloroethene (TCE), the most abundant chlorinated ethene, and 7 mg/L of tetrachloroethene (PCE). The potential sources of contamination including abandoned barrels, an underground tank, and a disposal lagoon, showed a wide range in δ(13)C values from -15.6 to -40.5‰ for TCE and from -18.5 to -32.4‰ for PCE, allowing the use of isotope fingerprinting for tracing of the origin and migration of these contaminants in the aquifer. In contrast, there is no difference between the δ(37)Cl values for TCE in the contaminant sources, ranging from +0.53 to +0.66‰. Variations of δ(37)Cl and δ(13)C in the different contaminant plumes were used to investigate the role of biodegradation in groundwater. Moreover, the isotopic data were incorporated into a reactive transport model for determination of whether the isotope pattern observed downstream from the tank's source could be explained by the simultaneous effect of mixing and biodegradation. The results demonstrate that a multi-isotope approach is a valuable tool for characterization of complex sites such as fractured bedrock aquifer contaminated by multiple sources, providing important information which can be used by consultants and site managers to prioritize and design more successful remediation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordi Palau
- Departament de Cristal.lografia, Mineralogia i Dipòsits Minerals, Facultat de Geologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Martí i Franquès, s/n 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Massimo Marchesi
- Departament de Cristal.lografia, Mineralogia i Dipòsits Minerals, Facultat de Geologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Martí i Franquès, s/n 08028 Barcelona, Spain; Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Julie C C Chambon
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Ramon Aravena
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Àngels Canals
- Departament de Cristal.lografia, Mineralogia i Dipòsits Minerals, Facultat de Geologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Martí i Franquès, s/n 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Philip J Binning
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Poul L Bjerg
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Neus Otero
- Departament de Cristal.lografia, Mineralogia i Dipòsits Minerals, Facultat de Geologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Martí i Franquès, s/n 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Albert Soler
- Departament de Cristal.lografia, Mineralogia i Dipòsits Minerals, Facultat de Geologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Martí i Franquès, s/n 08028 Barcelona, Spain
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