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Cometabolic degradation of TCE vapors in a foamed emulsion bioreactor.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Kan, E; Deshusses, MA
Published in: Environmental science & technology
February 2006

Effective cometabolic biodegradation of trichloroethylene (TCE) vapors in a novel gas-phase bioreactor called the foamed emulsion bioreactor (FEBR) was demonstrated. Toluene vapors were used as the primary growth substrate for Burkholderia cepacia G4 which cometabolically biodegraded TCE. Batch operation of the reactor with respect to the liquid feed showed a drastic decrease of TCE and toluene removal over time, consistent with a loss of metabolic activity caused by the exposure to TCE metabolites. Sustained TCE removal could be achieved when continuous feeding of mineral medium was implemented, which supported cell growth and compensated for the deactivation of cells. The FEBR exhibited its highest TCE removal efficiencies (82-96%) and elimination capacities (up to 28 gTCE m(-3) h(-1)) when TCE and toluene vapors were fed sequentially to circumvent the competitive inhibition by toluene. The TCE elimination capacity was 2-1000 times higher than reported in other gas-phase biotreatment reports. During the experiments, 85-101% of the degraded TCE chlorine was recovered as chloride. Overall, the results suggestthatthe FEBR can be a very effective system to treat TCE vapors cometabolically.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Environmental science & technology

DOI

EISSN

1520-5851

ISSN

0013-936X

Publication Date

February 2006

Volume

40

Issue

3

Start / End Page

1022 / 1028

Related Subject Headings

  • Volatilization
  • Trichloroethylene
  • Solvents
  • Environmental Sciences
  • Environmental Pollution
  • Emulsions
  • Burkholderia cepacia
  • Bioreactors
 

Citation

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MLA
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Kan, E., & Deshusses, M. A. (2006). Cometabolic degradation of TCE vapors in a foamed emulsion bioreactor. Environmental Science & Technology, 40(3), 1022–1028. https://doi.org/10.1021/es0510055
Kan, Eunsung, and Marc A. Deshusses. “Cometabolic degradation of TCE vapors in a foamed emulsion bioreactor.Environmental Science & Technology 40, no. 3 (February 2006): 1022–28. https://doi.org/10.1021/es0510055.
Kan E, Deshusses MA. Cometabolic degradation of TCE vapors in a foamed emulsion bioreactor. Environmental science & technology. 2006 Feb;40(3):1022–8.
Kan, Eunsung, and Marc A. Deshusses. “Cometabolic degradation of TCE vapors in a foamed emulsion bioreactor.Environmental Science & Technology, vol. 40, no. 3, Feb. 2006, pp. 1022–28. Epmc, doi:10.1021/es0510055.
Kan E, Deshusses MA. Cometabolic degradation of TCE vapors in a foamed emulsion bioreactor. Environmental science & technology. 2006 Feb;40(3):1022–1028.
Journal cover image

Published In

Environmental science & technology

DOI

EISSN

1520-5851

ISSN

0013-936X

Publication Date

February 2006

Volume

40

Issue

3

Start / End Page

1022 / 1028

Related Subject Headings

  • Volatilization
  • Trichloroethylene
  • Solvents
  • Environmental Sciences
  • Environmental Pollution
  • Emulsions
  • Burkholderia cepacia
  • Bioreactors