Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Mineralization of hexachlorocyclohexane in soil during solid-phase bioremediation

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology

Abstract

Soil containing hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) was spiked with 14C-γ-HCH and then subjected to bioremediation in bench-scale microcosms to determine the rate and extent of mineralization of the 14C-labeled HCH to 14CO2. The soil was treated using two different DARAMEND amendments, D6386 and D6390. The amendments were previously found to enhance natural HCH bioremediation as determined by measuring the disappearance of parent compounds under either strictly oxic conditions (D6386), or cycled anoxic/oxic conditions (D6390). Within 80 days of the initiation of treatment, mineralization was observed in all of the strictly oxic microcosms. However, mineralization was negligible in the cycled anoxic/oxic microcosms throughout the 275-day study, even after cycling was ceased at 84 days and although significant removal (up to 51%) of indigenous γ-HCH (146 mg/kg) was detected by GC with electron capture detector. Of the amended, strictly oxic treatments, only one, in which 47% of the spiked 14C-HCH was recovered as 14CO2, enhanced mineralization compared with an unamended treatment (in which 34% recovery was measured). Other oxic treatments involving higher amendment application rates or auxiliary carbon sources were inhibitory to mineralization. Thus, although HCH degradation occurs during the application of either oxic or cycled anoxic/oxic DARAMEND treatments, mineralization of γ-HCH may be inhibited depending on the amendment and treatment protocol.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Amato M, Ladd JN, Ellington A, Ford G, Mahoney JE, Taylor AC, Walsgott D (1987) Decomposition of plant material in Australian soils. IV Decomposition in situ of 14C- and 15N-labelled legume and wheat materials in a range of Southern Australian soils. Aust J Soil Res 25:95–105

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Bachmann A, DeBruin W, Jumelet JC, Rijnaarts HHN, Zehnder AJB (1988) Aerobic biomineralization of alpha-hexachlorocyclohexane in contaminated soil. Appl Environ Microbiol 54:548–554

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Bachmann A, Wijnen P, DeBruin W, Huntjens JLM, Roelofsen W, Zehnder AJB (1988) Biodegradation of alpha- and beta-hexachlorocyclohexane in a soil slurry under different redox conditions. Appl Environ Microbiol 54:143–149

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Bhuyan S, Sreedharan B, Adhya TK, Sethunathan N (1993) Enhanced biodegradation of γ-hexachlorocyclohexane (γ-HCH) in HCH (commercial) acclimatized flooded soil: factors affecting its development and persistence. Pestic Sci 38:49–55

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Bigham JM (1994) Methods of soil analysis. Part 2: microbiological and biochemical properties. Soil Science Society of America, Madison

    Google Scholar 

  6. Black CA (1965) Methods of soil analysis. Part I: physical and mineralogical properties, including statistics of measurement and sampling. American Society of Agronomy, Madison

    Google Scholar 

  7. Bumpus JA, Tien M, Wright D, Aust SD (1985) Oxidation of persistent environmental pollutants by a white rot fungus. Science 228:1434–1436

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Carter MR (1993) Soil sampling and methods of analysis. Lewis, Boca Raton

  9. Castro TF, Yoshida T (1974) Effect of organic matter on the biodegradation of some organochlorine insecticides in submerged soils. Soil Sci Plant Nutr 20:363–370

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Caulcutt R (1991) Statistics in research and development. Chapman and Hall/CRC, New York

  11. Doelman P, Haanstra L, deRuiter E, Slange J (1985) Rate of microbial degradation of high concentrations of α-hexachlorocyclohexane in soil under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Chemosphere 14:565–570

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Jagnow G, Haider K, Ellwardt P (1977) Anaerobic dechlorination and degradation of hexachlorocyclohexane isomers by anaerobic and faculative anaerobic bacteria. Arch Microbiol 115:285–292

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Johri AK, Dua M, Tuteja D, Saxena R, Saxena DM, Lal R (1998) Degradation of alpha, beta, gamma and delta-hexachlorocyclohexanes by Sphingomonas paucimobilis. Biotechnol Lett 20:885–887

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Kennedy DW, Aust SD, Bumpus JA (1990) Comparative biodegradation of alkyl halide insecticides by the white rot fungus, Phanerochaete chrysosporium (BKM-F-1767). Appl Environ Microbiol 56:2347–2353

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Kohnen R, Haider K, Jagnow G (1975) Investigations on the microbial degradation of lindane in submerged and aerated moist soil. In: Coulston F, Korte F (eds) Environmental quality and safety: pesticides. Georg Thieme, Stuttgart, pp 222–225

  16. MacRae IC, Raghu K, Castro TF (1967) Persistence and biodegradation of four common isomers of benzene hexachloride in submerged soils. J Agr Food Chem 15:911–914

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Manonmani HK, Chandrashekaraiah DH, Reddy NS, Elcey CD, Kunhi AA (2000) Isolation and acclimation of a microbial consortium for improved aerobic degradation of α-hexachlorocyclohexane. J Agric Food Chem 48:4341–4351

    Google Scholar 

  18. Maule A, Plyte S, Quirk AV (1987) Dehalogenation of organochlorine insecticides by mixed anaerobic microbial populations. Pestic Biochem Physiol 27:229–236

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Mougin C, Pericaud C, Dubroca J, Asther M (1997) Enhanced mineralization of lindane in soils supplemented with the white rot basidiomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium. Soil Biol Biochem 29:1321–1324

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Nagasawa S, Kikuchi R, Nagata Y, Takagi M, Matsuo M (1993) Aerobic mineralization of gamma-HCH by Pseudomonas paucimobilis UT26. Chemosphere 26:1719–1728

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Nagata Y, Miyauchi K, Takagi M (1999) Complete analysis of genes and enzymes for γ-hexachlorocyclohexane degradation in Sphingomonas paucimobilis UT26. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 23:380–390

    Google Scholar 

  22. Phillips TM, Seech AG, Trevors JT, Piazza M (2000) Bioremediation of soil containing hexachlorocyclohexane. In: Wickramanayake GB, Gavaskar AR, Gibbs JT, Means JL (eds) Case studies in the remediation of chlorinated and recalcitrant compounds. Battelle, Columbus, pp 285–292

  23. Sahu SK, Patnaik KK, Bhuyan S, Sethunathan N (1993) Degradation of soil-applied isomers of hexachlorocyclohexane by a Pseudomonas sp. Soil Biol Biochem 25:387–391

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Sahu SK, Patnaik KK, Bhuyan S, Sreedharan B, Kurihara N, Adhya TK, Sethunathan N (1995) Mineralization of α-, γ-, and β-isomers of hexachlorocyclohexane by a soil bacterium under aerobic conditions. J Agric Food Chem 43:833–837

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Seech AG, Trevors JT, Bulman TL (1991) Biodegradation of pentachlorophenol in soil: the response to physical, chemical, and biological treatments. Can J Microbiol 37:440–444

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Siddaramappa R, Sethunathan N (1975) Persistence of gamma-BHC and beta-BHC in Indian rice soils under flooded conditions. Pestic Sci 6:395–403

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Sorensen LH (1983) Size and persistence of the microbial biomass formed during the humification of glucose, hemicellulose, cellulose, and straw in soils containing different amounts of clay. Plant Soil 75:121–130

    Google Scholar 

  28. Thomas J-C, Berger F, Jacquier M, Bernillon D, Baud-Grasset F, Truffaut N, Normand P, Vogel TM, Simonet P (1996) Isolation and characterization of a novel γ-hexachlorocyclohexane-degrading bacterium. J Bacteriol 178:6049–6055

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Voroney RP, Paul EA, Anderson DW (1989) Decomposition of wheat straw and stabilization of microbial products. Can J Soil Sci 69:63–77

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This research was made possible by support from Adventus Remediation Technologies and funds provided by the Centre for Research in Earth and Space Technology (CRESTech). Research by J.T.T. and H.L. was supported by individual Discovery Grants from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2 W1, Canada

    Theresa M. Phillips, Hung Lee & Jack T. Trevors

  2. Adventus Remediation Technologies Inc., 1345 Fewster Drive, Mississauga, Ontario, L4W 2A5, Canada

    Alan G. Seech

Authors
  1. Theresa M. Phillips
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Hung Lee
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jack T. Trevors
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Alan G. Seech
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Theresa M. Phillips.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Phillips, T.M., Lee, H., Trevors, J.T. et al. Mineralization of hexachlorocyclohexane in soil during solid-phase bioremediation. J IND MICROBIOL BIOTECHNOL 31, 216–222 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10295-004-0139-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10295-004-0139-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation