scholarly journals Unravelling the process of petroleum hydrocarbon biodegradation in different filter materials of constructed wetlands by stable isotope fractionation and labelling studies

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Watzinger ◽  
Melanie Hager ◽  
Thomas Reichenauer ◽  
Gerhard Soja ◽  
Paul Kinner

AbstractMaintaining and supporting complete biodegradation during remediation of petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated groundwater in constructed wetlands is vital for the final destruction and removal of contaminants. We aimed to compare and gain insight into biodegradation and explore possible limitations in different filter materials (sand, sand amended with biochar, expanded clay). These filters were collected from constructed wetlands after two years of operation and batch experiments were conducted using two stable isotope techniques; (i) carbon isotope labelling of hexadecane and (ii) hydrogen isotope fractionation of decane. Both hydrocarbon compounds hexadecane and decane were biodegraded. The mineralization rate of hexadecane was higher in the sandy filter material (3.6 µg CO2 g−1 day−1) than in the expanded clay (1.0 µg CO2 g−1 day−1). The microbial community of the constructed wetland microcosms was dominated by Gram negative bacteria and fungi and was specific for the different filter materials while hexadecane was primarily anabolized by bacteria. Adsorption / desorption of petroleum hydrocarbons in expanded clay was observed, which might not hinder but delay biodegradation. Very few cases of hydrogen isotope fractionation were recorded in expanded clay and sand & biochar filters during decane biodegradation. In sand filters, decane was biodegraded more slowly and hydrogen isotope fractionation was visible. Still, the range of observed apparent kinetic hydrogen isotope effects (AKIEH = 1.072–1.500) and apparent decane biodegradation rates (k = − 0.017 to − 0.067 day−1) of the sand filter were low. To conclude, low biodegradation rates, small hydrogen isotope fractionation, zero order mineralization kinetics and lack of microbial biomass growth indicated that mass transfer controlled biodegradation.

1981 ◽  
Vol 27 (8) ◽  
pp. 824-834
Author(s):  
G. I. Harrison ◽  
E. J. Laishley ◽  
H. R. Krouse

Cell-free extracts from Clostridium pasteurianum grown on SO32− utilize H2 to reduce S3O62−, S2O32−, and SO32− to H2S at a much faster rate than extracts from SO42−-grown cells. This further supports the concept of an inducible dissimilatory type SO32− reductive pathway in this organism. 35S dilution experiments further support the concept that S3O62− and S2O32− are pathway intermediates. The inducible SO32− reductase is ferredoxin linked and the kinetics of the reduction and the sulfur isotope fractionation of the product can be altered by altering the growth conditions. The attending sulfur isotope fractionations are similar to those observed during the chemical decomposition of these compounds. In the case of S2O32−, 35S labelling experiments verified the conclusions derived from the stable isotope fractionation data concerning the relative reduction rates of the sulfane and sulfonate sulfurs. The reduction rates were also affected by enzyme concentration. The integrity of the whole cell is a necessary requirement for the large inverse isotope effects previously reported.


2016 ◽  
Vol 26 (1-3) ◽  
pp. 211-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florin Musat ◽  
Carsten Vogt ◽  
Hans H. Richnow

Saturated hydrocarbons (alkanes) and alkylated aromatic hydrocarbons are abundant environmental compounds. Hydrocarbons are primarily removed from the environment by biodegradation, a process usually associated with moderate carbon and significant hydrogen isotope fractionation allowing monitoring of biodegradation processes in the environment. Here, we review the carbon and hydrogen stable isotope fractionation associated with the cleavage of C-H bonds at alkyl chains of hydrocarbons. Propane, <i>n</i>-butane and ethylbenzene were used as model components for alkyl moieties of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons with emphasis on the cleavage of the C-H bond without the involvement of molecular oxygen. The carbon and hydrogen isotope fractionation factors were further used to explore the diagnostic potential for characterizing the mode of bond cleavage under oxic and anoxic conditions. &#x039B; factors, calculated to correlate carbon and hydrogen fractionation, allowed to distinguish between aerobic and anaerobic biodegradation processes in the environment.


Pedobiologia ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 229-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominique Haubert ◽  
Reinhard Langel ◽  
Stefan Scheu ◽  
Liliane Ruess

2011 ◽  
Vol 75 (19) ◽  
pp. 5797-5818 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Wombacher ◽  
A. Eisenhauer ◽  
F. Böhm ◽  
N. Gussone ◽  
M. Regenberg ◽  
...  

2016 ◽  
Vol 50 (11) ◽  
pp. 5729-5739 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heide K. V. Schürner ◽  
Michael P. Maier ◽  
Dominik Eckert ◽  
Ramona Brejcha ◽  
Claudia-Constanze Neumann ◽  
...  

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Keppler ◽  
Enno Bahlmann ◽  
Markus Greule ◽  
Heinz Friedrich Schöler ◽  
Julian Wittmer ◽  
...  

Abstract. Chloromethane (CH3Cl) is an important provider of chlorine to the stratosphere but yet lacks detailed knowledge of its budget. Stable isotope analysis is potentially a powerful tool to constrain CH3Cl flux estimates. The largest degree of isotope fractionation is expected to occur for deuterium in CH3Cl in the hydrogen abstraction reactions with its main sink reactant tropospheric OH and its minor sink reactant Cl atoms. We determined the isotope fractionation by stable hydrogen isotope analysis of the fraction of CH3Cl remaining after reaction with hydroxyl and chlorine radicals in a 3.5 m3 Teflon smog-chamber at 293 ± 1 K. We measured the increasing stable hydrogen isotope values of the unreacted CH3Cl using compound specific thermal conversion isotope ratio mass spectrometry. The isotope fractionations of CH3Cl for the reactions with hydroxyl and chlorine radicals were found to be −242 ± 7 mUr (or ‰) and −280 ± 11 mUr, respectively. For comparison, we performed similar experiments using methane (CH4) as the target compound with OH and obtained a fractionation constant of −205 ± 6 mUr which is in good agreement with values previously reported. The observed large kinetic isotope effects are helpful when employing isotopic analyses of CH3Cl in the atmosphere to improve our knowledge of its atmospheric budget.


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