Abstract
This research investigates the biodegradation of perchlorate in the presence of the co-contaminants nitrate and chlorate using soluble and slow-release carbon sources. In addition, the impact of bio-augmentation and dilution, which results in lower total dissolved salts (TDS) and contaminant levels, is examined. Laboratory microcosms were conducted using actual groundwater and soils from a contaminated aquifer. The results revealed that both soluble and slow-release carbon sources support biodegradation of contaminants in the sequence nitrate > chlorate > perchlorate. Degradation rates, including and excluding lag times, revealed that the overall impact of the presence of co-contaminants depends on degradation kinetics and the relative concentrations of the contaminants. When the lag time caused by the presence of the co-contaminants is considered, the degradation rates for chlorate and perchlorate were two to three times slower. The results also show that dilution causes lower initial contaminant concentrations, and consequently, slower degradation rates, which is not desirable. On the other hand, the dilution resulting from the injection of amendments to support remediation promotes desirably lower salinity levels. However, the salinity associated with the presence of sulfate does not inhibit biodegradation. The naturally occurring bacteria were able to support the degradation of all contaminants. Bio-augmentation was effective only in diluted microcosms. Proteobacteria and Firmicutes were the dominant phyla identified in the microcosms.
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Acknowledgements
This study was supported by a grant from the Nevada Environmental Response Trust (NERT) in collaboration with Tetra Tech Inc. The authors would like to thank the Department of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences at University of British Columbia, Canada, for conducting the X-ray diffraction testing. The authors also would like to thank Nicole Martin for providing the characterization of the FBR sludge data and Meagan Madariaga-Hopkins, Technical Writer, for editing the manuscript.
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YS carried out the soil and groundwater chemical characterization, conducted microcosm batch experiments and oil sorption studies, curated data, and evaluated microbial data, and drafted of the manuscript. JB conceptualized the idea, wrote research grant funding, supervised the research project as the principle investigator, reviewed and edited manuscript. RB and DG supervised field drilling operations to obtain soil and groundwater samples from the contaminate site, supervised research progress, and reviewed and commented on the manuscript.
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Saedi, Y., Batista, J.R., Britto, R. et al. Impacts of co-contaminants and dilution on perchlorate biodegradation using various carbon sources. Biodegradation 34, 301–323 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10532-022-10013-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10532-022-10013-2