scholarly journals A Microcosm Treatability Study for Evaluating Wood Mulch-Based Amendments as Electron Donors for Trichloroethene (TCE) Reductive Dechlorination

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 1949
Author(s):  
Edoardo Masut ◽  
Alessandro Battaglia ◽  
Luca Ferioli ◽  
Anna Legnani ◽  
Carolina Cruz Viggi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electron Donor ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Reductive Dechlorination ◽  
Environmental Remediation ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Chlorinated Solvents ◽  
Electron Donors ◽  
Chlorinated Ethenes ◽  
Dehalococcoides Mccartyi ◽  
Wood Mulch

In this study, wood mulch-based amendments were tested in a bench-scale microcosm experiment in order to assess the treatability of saturated soils and groundwater from an industrial site contaminated by chlorinated ethenes. Wood mulch was tested alone as the only electron donor in order to assess its potential for stimulating the biological reductive dechlorination. It was also tested in combination with millimetric iron filings in order to assess the ability of the additive to accelerate/improve the bioremediation process. The efficacy of the selected amendments was compared with that of unamended control microcosms. The results demonstrated that wood mulch is an effective natural and low-cost electron donor to stimulate the complete reductive dechlorination of chlorinated solvents to ethene. Being a side-product of the wood industry, mulch can be used in environmental remediation, an approach which perfectly fits the principles of circular economy and addresses the compelling needs of a sustainable and low environmental impact remediation. The efficacy of mulch was further improved by the co-presence of iron filings, which accelerated the conversion of vinyl chloride into the ethene by increasing the H2 availability rather than by catalyzing the direct abiotic dechlorination of contaminants. Chemical analyses were corroborated by biomolecular assays, which confirmed the stimulatory effect of the selected amendments on the abundance of Dehalococcoides mccartyi and related reductive dehalogenase genes. Overall, this paper further highlights the application potential and environmental sustainability of wood mulch-based amendments as low-cost electron donors for the biological treatment of chlorinated ethenes.

Use of poly-β-hydroxy-butyrate as a slow-release electron donor for the microbial reductive dechlorination of TCE

2008 ◽  
Vol 57 (6) ◽  
pp. 921-925 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Aulenta ◽  
M. Fuoco ◽  
A. Canosa ◽  
M. Petrangeli Papini ◽  
M. Majone
Keyword(s):  
Electron Donor ◽  
Biodegradable Polymer ◽  
Reductive Dechlorination ◽  
Slow Release ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Electron Donors ◽  
Microbial Reductive Dechlorination ◽  
Reducing Equivalents

In situ anaerobic reductive dechlorination, using slow-release electron donors, is emerging as an effective and sustainable (low-cost and low-maintenance) technology to remediate aquifers contaminated by chloroethenes. In the present study, we investigated the use of poly-β-hydroxy-butyrate (PHB), a fully biodegradable polymer, as a slow-release source of hydrogen and acetate for the reductive dechlorination of trichloroethene (TCE). Results of this study indicated that TCE dechlorination in PHB-amended microcosms was 2.3-times higher than in non-amended controls. This higher activity was explained by a higher H2 level in PHB-amended microcosms. As usual, acetate was the major sink (∼90%) of reducing equivalents available from PHB degradation, whereas no acetotrophic dechlorination was observed.

scholarly journals Coupled Adsorption and Biodegradation of Trichloroethylene on Biochar from Pine Wood Wastes: A Combined Approach for a Sustainable Bioremediation Strategy

2022 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 101
Author(s):  
Marta M. Rossi ◽  
Bruna Matturro ◽  
Neda Amanat ◽  
Simona Rossetti ◽  
Marco Petrangeli Papini
Keyword(s):  
Reductive Dechlorination ◽  
Adsorption Mechanism ◽  
Biological Process ◽  
Chlorinated Solvents ◽  
Biofilm Reactor ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Pine Wood ◽  
Dehalococcoides Mccartyi ◽  
Gene Copies ◽  
Physical Treatments

Towards chlorinated solvents, the effectiveness of the remediation strategy can be improved by combining a biological approach (e.g., anaerobic reductive dechlorination) with chemical/physical treatments (e.g., adsorption). A coupled adsorption and biodegradation (CAB) process for trichloroethylene (TCE) removal is proposed in a biofilm–biochar reactor (BBR) to assess whether biochar from pine wood (PWB) can support a dechlorinating biofilm by combining the TCE (100 µM) adsorption. The BBR operated for eight months in parallel with a biofilm reactor (BR)—no PWB (biological process alone), and with an abiotic biochar reactor (ABR)—no dechlorinating biofilm (only an adsorption mechanism). Two flow rates were investigated. Compared to the BR, which resulted in a TCE removal of 86.9 ± 11.9% and 78.73 ± 19.79%, the BBR demonstrated that PWB effectively adsorbs TCE and slows down the release of its intermediates. The elimination of TCE was quantitative, with 99.61 ± 0.79% and 99.87 ± 0.51% TCE removal. Interestingly, the biomarker of the reductive dechlorination process, Dehalococcoides mccartyi, was found in the BRR (9.2 × 105 16S rRNA gene copies/g), together with the specific genes tceA, bvcA, and vcrA (8.16 × 106, 1.28 × 105, and 8.01 × 103 gene copies/g, respectively). This study suggests the feasibility of biochar to support the reductive dechlorination of D. mccartyi, opening new frontiers for field-scale applications.

scholarly journals Effects of Sulfate Reduction on Trichloroethene Dechlorination by Dehalococcoides-Containing Microbial Communities

2017 ◽  
Vol 83 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinwei Mao ◽  
Alexandra Polasko ◽  
Lisa Alvarez-Cohen
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Communities ◽  
Sulfate Reduction ◽  
Electron Donor ◽  
Reductive Dechlorination ◽  
Sulfate Reducer ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Dehalococcoides Mccartyi ◽  
Sulfide Inhibition ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
High Sulfate

ABSTRACT In order to elucidate interactions between sulfate reduction and dechlorination, we systematically evaluated the effects of different concentrations of sulfate and sulfide on reductive dechlorination by isolates, constructed consortia, and enrichments containing Dehalococcoides sp. Sulfate (up to 5 mM) did not inhibit the growth or metabolism of pure cultures of the dechlorinator Dehalococcoides mccartyi 195, the sulfate reducer Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough, or the syntroph Syntrophomonas wolfei. In contrast, sulfide at 5 mM exhibited inhibitory effects on growth of the sulfate reducer and the syntroph, as well as on both dechlorination and growth rates of D. mccartyi. Transcriptomic analysis of D. mccartyi 195 revealed that genes encoding ATP synthase, biosynthesis, and Hym hydrogenase were downregulated during sulfide inhibition, whereas genes encoding metal-containing enzymes involved in energy metabolism were upregulated even though the activity of those enzymes (hydrogenases) was inhibited. When the electron acceptor (trichloroethene) was limiting and an electron donor (lactate) was provided in excess to cocultures and enrichments, high sulfate concentrations (5 mM) inhibited reductive dechlorination due to the toxicity of generated sulfide. The initial cell ratio of sulfate reducers to D. mccartyi (1:3, 1:1, or 3:1) did not affect the dechlorination performance in the presence of sulfate (2 and 5 mM). In contrast, under electron donor limitation, dechlorination was not affected by sulfate amendments due to low sulfide production, demonstrating that D. mccartyi can function effectively in anaerobic microbial communities containing moderate sulfate concentrations (5 mM), likely due to its ability to outcompete other hydrogen-consuming bacteria and archaea. IMPORTANCE Sulfate is common in subsurface environments and has been reported as a cocontaminant with chlorinated solvents at various concentrations. Inconsistent results for the effects of sulfate inhibition on the performance of dechlorination enrichment cultures have been reported in the literature. These inconsistent findings make it difficult to understand potential mechanisms of sulfate inhibition and complicate the interpretation of bioremediation field data. In order to elucidate interactions between sulfate reduction and reductive dechlorination, this study systematically evaluated the effects of different concentrations of sulfate and sulfide on reductive dechlorination by isolates, constructed consortia, and enrichments containing Dehalococcoides sp. This study provides a more fundamental understanding of the competition mechanisms between reductive dechlorination by Dehalococcoides mccartyi and sulfate reduction during the bioremediation process. It also provides insights on the significance of sulfate concentrations on reductive dechlorination under electron donor/acceptor-limiting conditions during in situ bioremediation applications. For example, at a trichloroethene-contaminated site with a high sulfate concentration, proper slow-releasing electron donors can be selected to generate an electron donor-limiting environment that favors reductive dechlorination and minimizes the sulfide inhibition effect.

scholarly journals Guided cobalamin biosynthesis supports Dehalococcoides mccartyi reductive dechlorination activity

2013 ◽  
Vol 368 (1616) ◽  
pp. 20120320 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Yan ◽  
Jeongdae Im ◽  
Yi Yang ◽  
Frank E. Löffler
Keyword(s):  
Reductive Dechlorination ◽  
Methanosarcina Barkeri ◽  
Chlorinated Ethenes ◽  
Vitamin B ◽  
Organohalide Respiration ◽  
Dehalococcoides Mccartyi ◽  
Subsurface Environments ◽  
Cobalamin Biosynthesis ◽  
Axenic Cultures ◽  
Sporomusa Ovata

Dehalococcoides mccartyi strains are corrinoid-auxotrophic Bacteria and axenic cultures that require vitamin B 12 (CN-Cbl) to conserve energy via organohalide respiration. Cultures of D. mccartyi strains BAV1, GT and FL2 grown with limiting amounts of 1 µg l −1 CN-Cbl quickly depleted CN-Cbl, and reductive dechlorination of polychlorinated ethenes was incomplete leading to vinyl chloride (VC) accumulation. In contrast, the same cultures amended with 25 µg l −1 CN-Cbl exhibited up to 2.3-fold higher dechlorination rates, 2.8–9.1-fold increased growth yields, and completely consumed growth-supporting chlorinated ethenes. To explore whether known cobamide-producing microbes supply Dehalococcoides with the required corrinoid cofactor, co-culture experiments were performed with the methanogen Methanosarcina barkeri strain Fusaro and two acetogens, Sporomusa ovata and Sporomusa sp. strain KB-1, as Dehalococcoides partner populations. During growth with H 2 /CO 2 , M. barkeri axenic cultures produced 4.2 ± 0.1 µg l −1 extracellular cobamide (factor III), whereas the Sporomusa cultures produced phenolyl- and p -cresolyl-cobamides. Neither factor III nor the phenolic cobamides supported Dehalococcoides reductive dechlorination activity suggesting that M. barkeri and the Sporomusa sp. cannot fulfil Dehalococcoides ' nutritional requirements. Dehalococcoides dechlorination activity and growth occurred in M. barkeri and Sporomusa sp. co-cultures amended with 10 µM 5′,6′-dimethylbenzimidazole (DMB), indicating that a cobalamin is a preferred corrinoid cofactor of strains BAV1, GT and FL2 when grown with chlorinated ethenes as electron acceptors. Even though the methanogen and acetogen populations tested did not produce cobalamin, the addition of DMB enabled guided biosynthesis and generated a cobalamin that supported Dehalococcoides ' activity and growth. Guided cobalamin biosynthesis may offer opportunities to sustain and enhance Dehalococcoides activity in contaminated subsurface environments.

Bioremediation of trichloroethylene contaminated groundwater using anaerobic process

2008 ◽  
Vol 58 (11) ◽  
pp. 2127-2132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheema Chomsurin ◽  
Juthathip Kajorntraidej ◽  
Kongrit Luangmuang
Keyword(s):  
Contaminated Soil ◽  
Reductive Dechlorination ◽  
Volatile Fatty Acids ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Ammonia Nitrogen ◽  
Electron Donors ◽  
Contaminated Groundwater ◽  
Peanut Shell ◽  
Fermentation System ◽  
Set Up

Anaerobic remediation of trichloroethylene (TCE) contaminated soil and groundwater was studied in laboratory setups. In this process fermentation of polymeric organic materials (POMS) produced volatile fatty acids (VFAs) that were electron donors in reductive dechlorination of TCE. Shredded peanut shell was selected as low cost POM and the experiments were set up in 500 ml Erlenmeyer flasks. In the setups, approximately 25 mg of leachate contaminated soil was used as the main source of microorganisms and about 5 g of shredded peanut shell (0.5–2.36 mm) was added to produce VFAs for dechlorination of TCE. In the first set of experiments, fermentation of soil and shredded peanut shell was studied and it was found that VFAs were produced continuously with increasing concentration (5.63 mM as CH3COOH from the first day to 17.17 in the 10th day of the experiment). During the fermentation, concentration of ammonia-nitrogen was 22–50 mg/L, the ratio of VFA to NH3 was 15.29–23.44 and pH was 5.24–6.00. These results show that the system was appropriate for microorganism activities. In the second set of experiments, TCE (∼48 mg/L) was added to the fermentation system and remediation of TCE by reductive dechlorination was studied. It was found that 0.04(±0.01) mg TCE adsorbed to a gram of soil and peanut shells at the beginning of the experiment and based on mass balance of the system, TCE concentration in water was linearly reduced at the rate of 0.0098 mg/hr.

scholarly journals Effects of the Feeding Solution Composition on a Reductive/Oxidative Sequential Bioelectrochemical Process for Perchloroethylene Removal

Processes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 405
Author(s):  
Edoardo Dell’Armi ◽  
Marco Zeppilli ◽  
Bruna Matturro ◽  
Simona Rossetti ◽  
Marco Petrangeli Papini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reductive Dechlorination ◽  
Nitrate Reduction ◽  
Coulombic Efficiency ◽  
Reducing Power ◽  
Mineral Medium ◽  
Process Conditions ◽  
Microbial Electrolysis Cells ◽  
Dehalococcoides Mccartyi ◽  
In Series ◽  
Synthetic Groundwater

Chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons (CAHs) are common groundwater contaminants due to their improper use in several industrial activities. Specialized microorganisms are able to perform the reductive dechlorination (RD) of high-chlorinated CAHs such as perchloroethylene (PCE), while the low-chlorinated ethenes such as vinyl chloride (VC) are more susceptible to oxidative mechanisms performed by aerobic dechlorinating microorganisms. Bioelectrochemical systems can be used as an effective strategy for the stimulation of both anaerobic and aerobic microbial dechlorination, i.e., a biocathode can be used as an electron donor to perform the RD, while a bioanode can provide the oxygen necessary for the aerobic dechlorination reaction. In this study, a sequential bioelectrochemical process constituted by two membrane-less microbial electrolysis cells connected in series has been, for the first time, operated with synthetic groundwater, also containing sulphate and nitrate, to simulate more realistic process conditions due to the possible establishment of competitive processes for the reducing power, with respect to previous research made with a PCE-contaminated mineral medium (with neither sulphate nor nitrate). The shift from mineral medium to synthetic groundwater showed the establishment of sulphate and nitrate reduction and caused the temporary decrease of the PCE removal efficiency from 100% to 85%. The analysis of the RD biomarkers (i.e., Dehalococcoides mccartyi 16S rRNA and tceA, bvcA, vcrA genes) confirmed the decrement of reductive dechlorination performances after the introduction of the synthetic groundwater, also characterized by a lower ionic strength and nutrients content. On the other hand, the system self-adapted the flowing current to the increased demand for the sulphate and nitrate reduction, so that reducing power was not in defect for the RD, although RD coulombic efficiency was less.

scholarly journals Production of bio-xylitol from d-xylose by an engineered Pichia pastoris expressing a recombinant xylose reductase did not require any auxiliary substrate as electron donor

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tai Man Louie ◽  
Kailin Louie ◽  
Samuel DenHartog ◽  
Sridhar Gopishetty ◽  
Mani Subramanian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pichia Pastoris ◽  
Electron Donor ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Standard Procedure ◽  
Xylose Reductase ◽  
Animal Nutrition ◽  
Whole Cells ◽  
Reductase Gene ◽  
Biocatalytic Reaction ◽  
Ketone Reductases

Abstract Background Xylitol is a five-carbon sugar alcohol that has numerous beneficial health properties. It has almost the same sweetness as sucrose but has lower energy value compared to the sucrose. Metabolism of xylitol is insulin independent and thus it is an ideal sweetener for diabetics. It is widely used in food products, oral and personal care, and animal nutrition as well. Here we present a two-stage strategy to produce bio-xylitol from d-xylose using a recombinant Pichia pastoris expressing a heterologous xylose reductase gene. The recombinant P. pastoris cells were first generated by a low-cost, standard procedure. The cells were then used as a catalyst to make the bio-xylitol from d-xylose. Results Pichia pastoris expressing XYL1 from P. stipitis and gdh from B. subtilis demonstrated that the biotransformation was very efficient with as high as 80% (w/w) conversion within two hours. The whole cells could be re-used for multiple rounds of catalysis without loss of activity. Also, the cells could directly transform d-xylose in a non-detoxified hemicelluloses hydrolysate to xylitol at 70% (w/w) yield. Conclusions We demonstrated here that the recombinant P. pastoris expressing xylose reductase could transform d-xylose, either in pure form or in crude hemicelluloses hydrolysate, to bio-xylitol very efficiently. This biocatalytic reaction happened without the external addition of any NAD(P)H, NAD(P)+, and auxiliary substrate as an electron donor. Our experimental design & findings reported here are not limited to the conversion of d-xylose to xylitol only but can be used with other many oxidoreductase reactions also, such as ketone reductases/alcohol dehydrogenases and amino acid dehydrogenases, which are widely used for the synthesis of high-value chemicals and pharmaceutical intermediates.

Microbial Perchlorate Reduction in Groundwater with Different Electron Donors

2013 ◽  
Vol 295-298 ◽  
pp. 1402-1407
Author(s):  
Rui Wang ◽  
Ming Chen ◽  
Jia Wen Zhang ◽  
Fei Liu ◽  
Hong Han Chen
Keyword(s):  
Removal Efficiency ◽  
Electron Donor ◽  
Electron Acceptor ◽  
Reduction Rate ◽  
Electron Donors ◽  
Monod Equation ◽  
Hydrogen Addition ◽  
Perchlorate Reduction ◽  
Perchlorate Removal

Effects of different electron donors (acetate and hydrogen), acetate and perchlorate concentrations on microbial perchlorate reduction in groundwater were studied. The results showed that acetate and hydrogen addition as an electron donor can significantly improve perchlorate removal efficiency while a longer period was observed for hydrogen (15 d) than for acetate (8 d). The optical ratio of electron donor (acetate)-to-electron acceptor (perchlorate) was approximately 1.65 mg COD mg perchlorate-1. The highest specific reduction rate of perchlorate was achieved at the acetate-to-perchlorate ratio of 3.80 mg COD mg perchlorate-1. The perchlorate reduction rates corresponded well to the theoretical values calculated by the Monod equation and the parameters of Ks and Vm were determined to be 15.6 mg L-1 and 0.26 d-1, respectively.

Photocatalytic CO2 reduction using water as an electron donor by a powdered Z-scheme system consisting of metal sulfide and an RGO–TiO2 composite

2017 ◽  
Vol 198 ◽  
pp. 397-407 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomoaki Takayama ◽  
Ko Sato ◽  
Takehiro Fujimura ◽  
Yuki Kojima ◽  
Akihide Iwase ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Aqueous Solution ◽  
Graphene Oxide ◽  
Visible Light ◽  
Water Splitting ◽  
Electron Donor ◽  
Visible Light Irradiation ◽  
Co2 Reduction ◽  
Metal Sulfide ◽  
Electron Donors ◽  
Reduced Graphene

CuGaS2, (AgInS2)x–(ZnS)2−2x, Ag2ZnGeS4, Ni- or Pb-doped ZnS, (ZnS)0.9–(CuCl)0.1, and ZnGa0.5In1.5S4 showed activities for CO2 reduction to form CO and/or HCOOH in an aqueous solution containing K2SO3 and Na2S as electron donors under visible light irradiation. Among them, CuGaS2 and Ni-doped ZnS photocatalysts showed relatively high activities for CO and HCOOH formation, respectively. CuGaS2 was applied in a powdered Z-scheme system combining with reduced graphene oxide (RGO)-incorporated TiO2 as an O2-evolving photocatalyst. The powdered Z-scheme system produced CO from CO2 in addition to H2 and O2 due to water splitting. Oxygen evolution with an almost stoichiometric amount indicates that water was consumed as an electron donor in the Z-schematic CO2 reduction. Thus, we successfully demonstrated CO2 reduction of artificial photosynthesis using a simple Z-scheme system in which two kinds of photocatalyst powders (CuGaS2 and an RGO–TiO2 composite) were only dispersed in water under 1 atm of CO2.

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