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Kinetics of Sulfate Reduction in a Coastal Aquifer Contaminated with Petroleum Hydrocarbons

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Abstract

An integrated field and laboratory study was conducted to quantify the effect of environmental determinants on the activity of sulfate reducers in a freshwater aquifer contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons (PHC). Within the contaminated zone, PHC-supported in␣situ sulfate reduction rates varied from 11.58±3.12 to 636±53 nmol cm−3 d−1 and a linear increase (R 2=0.98) in reduction rate was observed with increasing in situ sulfate concentrations suggesting sulfate limitation. Half-saturation concentration (K s) for sulfate reduction coupled to PHC mineralization was determined for the first time. At two different sites within the␣aquifer, maximum sulfate reduction rate under␣non-limiting conditions (R max) was 5,000 nmol cm−3 d−1, whereas the retrieved K s values were 3.5 and 7.5 mM, respectively. The K s values are the highest ever reported from a natural environment. Furthermore, the K s values were significantly higher than in situ sulfate concentrations confirming sulfate limited growth. On addition of lactate and formate, sulfate reduction rate increased indicating that reactivity and bioavailability of organic substrate may also have played a role in rate inhibition in certain parts of the aquifer. Experiments with sulfide amendments show statistically minor decrease in sulfate reduction rates on addition of sulfide and analogous increase in sulfide toxicity with increasing sulfide concentrations (0.5–10 mM) was not apparent.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by research grants from NRF, South Africa (GUN# 2053191 and FA2004041200002). The authors would like to thank Paul Aucamp and Ross Campbell of “Kantey and Templer Consulting Engineers” for allowing access to the field site and for discussions on prior history of contamination at the site. Comments from two anonymous reviewers and Anne Hershey helped improve the manuscript.

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  1. Department of Geological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7700, South Africa

    Alakendra N. Roychoudhury & Dean W. McCormick

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  1. Alakendra N. Roychoudhury
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Correspondence to Alakendra N. Roychoudhury.

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Roychoudhury, A.N., McCormick, D.W. Kinetics of Sulfate Reduction in a Coastal Aquifer Contaminated with Petroleum Hydrocarbons. Biogeochemistry 81, 17–31 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-006-9027-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-006-9027-5

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