Dynamics of Suspended and Attached Aerobic Toluene Degraders in Small-Scale Flow-through Sediment Systems under Growth and Starvation Conditions

The microbially mediated reactions, that are responsible for field-scale natural attenuation of organic pollutants, are governed by the concurrent presence of a degrading microbial community, suitable energy and carbon sources, electron acceptors, as well as nutrients. The temporal lack of one of th...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental science & technology 2015-06, Vol.49 (12), p.7161-7169
Main Authors: Mellage, Adrian, Eckert, Dominik, GroĢˆsbacher, Michael, Inan, Ayse Z, Cirpka, Olaf A, Griebler, Christian
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adenosine Triphosphate - metabolism
Aerobiosis
Bacterial Adhesion
Biochemistry
Biodegradation
Biodegradation, Environmental
Cellular biology
Computer Simulation
Environmental conditions
Geologic Sediments - microbiology
Gram-negative bacteria
Hydrocarbons - metabolism
Pollutants
Pseudomonas putida
Pseudomonas putida - growth & development
Pseudomonas putida - metabolism
Survival analysis
Toluene - metabolism
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The microbially mediated reactions, that are responsible for field-scale natural attenuation of organic pollutants, are governed by the concurrent presence of a degrading microbial community, suitable energy and carbon sources, electron acceptors, as well as nutrients. The temporal lack of one of these essential components for microbial activity, arising from transient environmental conditions, might potentially impair in situ biodegradation. This study presents results of small scale flow-through experiments aimed at ascertaining the effects of substrate-starvation periods on the aerobic degradation of toluene by Pseudomonas putida F1. During the course of the experiments, concentrations of attached and mobile bacteria, as well as toluene and oxygen were monitored. Results from a fitted reactive-transport model, along with the observed profiles, show the ability of attached cells to survive substrate-starvation periods of up to four months and suggest a highly dynamic exchange between attached and mobile cells under growth conditions and negligible cell detachment under substrate-starvation conditions. Upon reinstatement of toluene, it was readily degraded without a significant lag period, even after a starvation period of 130 days. Our experimental and modeling results strongly suggest that aerobic biodegradation of BTEX-hydrocarbons at contaminated field sites is not hampered by intermittent starvation periods of up to four months.
ISSN:0013-936X
1520-5851
DOI:10.1021/es5058538