Biological Treatment of Groundwater Contaminated with Mixtures of Aromatic Compounds
Abstract
This report presents the results of a 3-week preliminary field demonstration using an aboveground fixed-film bioreactor to biodegrade chlorinated aromatic compounds. The site at Kelly AFB, TX is an abandoned waste storage area where the soil and groundwater is contaminated with a mixture of chlorinated solvents. Contaminant removal by a reactor colonized with Pseudomonas sp. JS150 was compared to that of a reactor colonized with indigenous groundwater bacteria. Other process measurements included temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, and fluctuations in microbial populations. Both biofilm populations degraded the organic compounds when the reactors were operated at a hydraulic residence time of 40 minutes. The concentrations of volatile organic compounds were reduced from the mg/l to the low ug/l range when sufficient dissolved oxygen was maintained. These results indicate that high removal efficiencies for complex mixtures of organic compounds can be achieved by immobilized bacterial populations.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 1993
- Accession Number
- ADA270732
Entities
People
- C. A. Pettigrew
- C. M. Vogel
- Jim C. Spain