Cometabolism of cis-1,2-dichloroethene by aerobic cultures grown on vinyl chloride as the primary substrate

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2002

Authors

Matthew F. Verce (Author) Other; Claudia K. Gunsch (Author) Other; Anthony Steven Danko (Author) FEUP; David L. Freedman (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Environmental Science & Technology

Vol. 36 No. 10

Pages: 2171-2177

ISSN: 0013-936X

Publisher: American Chemical Society

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 33 Citations

Scopus - 37 Citations

COMPENDEX

Scientific classification

FOS: Engineering and technology > Chemical engineering

CORDIS: Physical sciences > Chemistry

Other information

DOI: 10.1021/es011220v

Abstract (EN): An aerobic enrichment culture was grown on vinyl chloride (VC) as the sole source of carbon and energy. In the absence of VC, the enrichment culture cometabolized cis-1,2-dichloroethene (cDCE) and, to a lesser extent, trans-1,2-dichloroethene (tDCE), beginning with oxidation to the corresponding DCE-epoxides. When provided with VC (1.3 mM) and cDCE (0.2−0.3 mM), the enrichment culture cometabolized repeated additions of cDCE for over 85 days. Cometabolism of repeated additions of tDCE was also demonstrated but at a lower ratio of nongrowth substrate to VC. VC-grown Pseudomonas aeruginosa MF1 (previously isolated from the enrichment culture) also readily cometabolizes cDCE, with an observed transformation capacity (Tc,obs) of 0.82 μmol of cDCE/mg of total suspended solids (TSS). When provided with VC and cDCE, MF1 did not begin cometabolizing cDCE until nearly all of the VC was consumed. The presence of cDCE reduces the maximum specific rate of VC utilization. A kinetic model was developed that describes these phenomena via Monod parameters for substrate and nongrowth substrate, plus inactivation and inhibition coefficients. MF1 did not show any cometabolic activity on tDCE or trichloroethene and very limited activity on 1,1-DCE (Tc,obs = 2 × 10-5 μmol/mg TSS). Above 40 μM, tDCE and TCE noticeably increased the maximum specific rate of VC utilization, even though neither compound was consumed during or after VC consumption. High concentrations of 1,1-DCE (950 μM) completely inhibited VC biodegradation. As there is currently no evidence for aerobic biodegradation of cDCE as a sole source of carbon and energy, the results of this study provide a potential explanation for in situ disappearance of cDCE when the only other significant substrate available is VC. It is fortuitous that the VC-grown cultures tested exhibit their highest cometabolic activity toward cDCE, because it is the predominant DCE isomer formed during anaerobic reductive dechlorination of trichloroethene and tetrachloroethene.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 7