Fate and behavior of organic compounds in an artificial saturated subsoil under controlled redox conditions: the sequential soil column system.
A system was developed to investigate the fate and behavior of anthropogenic organic contaminants at concentrations present in polluted subsoils and aquifers. A sequential soil column system was constructed to simulate redox conditions from methanogenic, sulfate-reducing, denitrifying, to aerobic conditions which normally occur in a leachate pollution plume. This system allowed the simulation of subsurface pollution with a range of xenobiotics and the observation of the microbial response to this contamination. After an adaptation period of up to about 7 months, 2,4-dichlorophenol and 2-nitrophenol were eliminated and perchloroethene disappeared almost completely in the methanogenic column. Toluene was partially transformed under sulfate-reducing conditions, and nearly completely in the nitrate-reducing column. The same applied to naphthalene under denitrifying and aerobic conditions. Aerobically, a fraction of benzene was transformed, and 1,4-dichlorobenzene decreased to very low residual concentrations in one system. No significant transformation of 1,1-dichloroethene could be seen.
Nay
M
M
Department of Microbiology, Swiss Federal Institute for Environmental Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland.
Snozzi
M
M
Zehnder
A J
AJ
D000693:Anaerobiosis; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004583:Electrons; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000032:analysis*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D012987:Soil / Q000032:analysis*; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet; D015262:Xenobiotics / Q000032:analysis
D009930:Organic Chemicals; D012987:Soil; D015262:Xenobiotics