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Removing Hexazinone from Groundwater with Microbial Bioreactors

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Abstract

Hexazinone, a triazine herbicide that is often detected as a ground and surface water contaminant, inhibits electron transport in photosynthetic organisms and is toxic to primary producers that serve as the base of the food chain. This laboratory study evaluated the ability of two types of microbial reactors, i.e., a vegetable oil-based nitrogen-limiting biobarrier and an aerobic slow sand filter, as methods for removing hexazinone from simulated groundwater. The N-limiting biobarriers degraded hexazinone, but did so with a 52 week incubation period and a removal efficiency that varied greatly among replicates, with one biobarrier showing a removal efficiency of ~95% and the other an efficiency of ~50%. More consistent degradation was obtained with the aerobic sand biobarriers. Four aerobic biobarriers were evaluated and all behaved in a similar manner degrading hexazinone with removal efficiencies of ~97%; challenging two of the aerobic biobarriers with large amounts of influent hexazinone showed that these barriers are capable of efficiently remediating large amounts (>100 mg L−1) of hexazinone at high efficiency. The remediation process was due to biological degradation rather than abiotic processes. The long lag phase observed in both types of reactors suggests that an acclimation process, where microorganisms capable of degrading hexazinone increased in numbers, was required. Also, the isolation of bacteria that show a positive growth response to the presence of hexazinone in their growth media suggests biological degradation.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Robin Montenieri and Mia Hanson for their expert technical assistance. Manufacturer and product brand names are given for the reader’s convenience and do not reflect endorsement by the US government. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. This article was the work of US government employees engaged in official duties and is exempt from copyright.

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  1. USDA–ARS, 2150-D Centre Avenue, Fort Collins, CO, 80526-8119, USA

    William J. Hunter & Dale L. Shaner

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  1. William J. Hunter
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Correspondence to William J. Hunter.

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Hunter, W.J., Shaner, D.L. Removing Hexazinone from Groundwater with Microbial Bioreactors. Curr Microbiol 64, 405–411 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-012-0086-7

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