Bioremediation of chlorate or perchlorate contaminated water using permeable barriers containing vegetable oil.
A scale model of an in situ permeable barrier, formed by injecting vegetable oil onto laboratory soil columns, was used to remove chlorate and perchlorate from flowing groundwater. The hypothesis that trapped oil would serve as a substrate enabling native microorganisms to reduce chlorate or perchlorate to chloride as water flowed through the oil-rich zone had merit. Approximately 96% of the 0.2 mM chlorate and 99% of the 0.2 mM perchlorate present in the water was removed as water was pumped through columns containing vegetable oil barriers. The product formed was chloride. When nitrate at 1.4 mM was added to the water, both nitrate and chlorate were removed. High concentrations of chlorate or perchlorate can be treated; 24 m M chlorate and 6 mM perchlorate were completely reduced to chloride during microcosm incubations. Microorganisms capable of reducing perchlorate are plentiful in the environment.
USDA-ARS, P. O. Box E, Fort Collins, CO 80522, USA. jhunter@lamar.colostate.edu
William J
WJ
Hunter
D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D002704:Chlorates / Q000378:metabolism*; D008961:Models, Structural; D009566:Nitrates / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D009573:Nitrites / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D010472:Perchlorates / Q000378:metabolism*; D010539:Permeability; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000378:metabolism; D017670:Sodium Compounds / Q000378:metabolism*; D012988:Soil Microbiology / Q000592:standards; D014871:Water Microbiology / Q000592:standards; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*; D014881:Water Supply / Q000592:standards
D002704:Chlorates; D009566:Nitrates; D009573:Nitrites; D010472:Perchlorates; D010938:Plant Oils; D017670:Sodium Compounds; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C031068:sodium perchlorate