ena-STUDY-NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY-03-03-2017-16:04:04:174-101
Biodegradable organic carbon amendments enhance attenuation of trace organic contaminants in biochar amended stormwater biofilters
Biochar-amended infiltration systems may significantly improve urban water quality by  enhancing removal of trace organic contaminants (TOrCs) from runoff. As biochar’s  sorption capacity will eventually saturate, stimulation of biological TOrC attenuation may  be beneficial. The objective of this study was to determine if biodegradable organic carbon amendments can improve TOrC attenuation in biochar-amended biofilters. It was  hypothesized that microbial growth in response to dissolved organic carbon (DOC)  availability would establish more robust and diverse microbial communities, leading to  enhanced TOrC biodegradation and sorption to biological material. This hypothesis was  evaluated in TOrC-spiked microcosm and column experiments, utilizing a representative  microbial consortium from actual runoff and DOC extracted from straw and compost.  Microcosms with compost DOC exhibited broader TOrC biodegradation potential than  microcosms with raw runoff or straw DOC. 16s rRNA gene sequencing revealed  community clustering according to DOC type, suggesting that DOC availability caused  shifts in community structure that affected TOrC biodegradation. Columns exhibited  enhanced biological TOrC attenuation in presence ofbiofilms established with compost  DOC but not straw DOC. These results reveal that biodegradable organic carbon sources  stimulate biological TOrC attenuation in biochar-amended biofilters, providing insight  into the design of stormwater biofilters for improved water quality.
Biochar-amended infiltration systems may significantly improve urban water quality by  enhancing removal of trace organic contaminants (TOrCs) from runoff. As biochar’s  sorption capacity will eventually saturate, stimulation of biological TOrC attenuation may  be beneficial. The objective of this study was to determine if biodegradable organic carbon amendments can improve TOrC attenuation in biochar-amended biofilters. It was  hypothesized that microbial growth in response to dissolved organic carbon (DOC)  availability would establish more robust and diverse microbial communities, leading to  enhanced TOrC biodegradation and sorption to biological material. This hypothesis was  evaluated in TOrC-spiked microcosm and column experiments, utilizing a representative  microbial consortium from actual runoff and DOC extracted from straw and compost.  Microcosms with compost DOC exhibited broader TOrC biodegradation potential than  microcosms with raw runoff or straw DOC. 16s rRNA gene sequencing revealed  community clustering according to DOC type, suggesting that DOC availability caused  shifts in community structure that affected TOrC biodegradation. Columns exhibited  enhanced biological TOrC attenuation in presence ofbiofilms established with compost  DOC but not straw DOC. These results reveal that biodegradable organic carbon sources  stimulate biological TOrC attenuation in biochar-amended biofilters, providing insight  into the design of stormwater biofilters for improved water quality.