Biofilm Reactors for Treatment of Gas Streams Containing Chlorinated Solvents
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 119, Issue 4
Abstract
Air streams contaminated with chlorinated solvents are increasingly common as by‐products of air‐stripping and soil‐vapor‐extraction operations. This research investigated treatment of such gas streams with a bioreactor that supported the growth of methanotrophic bacteria. These bacteria cometabolize many chlorinated solvents. Trichloroethylene (TCE) and 1,2‐dichloroethane (DCA) were selected as model contaminants. Removals ranged from 20% to 80% at influent concentrations of 300–1,000 μg/L of air and packed‐bed gas‐resident times of 5–12 min. Biofilm models were able to describe bioreactor performance well. Pseudo‐first‐order rate constants from reactor modeling were considerably smaller than those measured in batch systems, suggesting that much of the biofilm was inactive, which also was supported by methane‐removal data. Enzyme competition between methane and chlorinated solvents and toxicity from chlorinated solvent metabolites both appeared significant.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
1.
Alvarez‐Cohen, L., and McCarty, P. L. (1991a). “Product toxicity and cometabolic competitive inhibition modeling of chloroform and trichloroethylene transformation by methanotrophic resting cells.” Appl. and Envir. Microbiol., 57(4), 1031–1036.
2.
Alvarez‐Cohen, L., and McCarty, P. L. (1991b). “Effects of toxicity, aeration, and reductant supply on trichloroethylene transformation by a mixed methanotrophic culture.” Appl. and Envir. Microbiol., 57(1), 228–235.
3.
Bailey, J. E., and Ollis, D. F. (1986). Biochemical engineering fundamentals. McGraw‐Hill Book Co., New York, N.Y.
4.
Bouwer, E. J., and McCarty, P. L. (1985). “Utilization rates of trace halogenated organic compounds in acetate‐grown biofilms.” Biotechnol. and Bioengrg., 27(11), 1564–1571.
5.
Convery, J. J., Cohen, J. M., and Bishop, D. F. (1980). “Occurrence and removal of toxics in municipal wastewater treatment facilities.” Proc., 7th Joint United States/Japan Conf., Tokyo, Japan.
6.
Colby, J., Stirling, D. I., and Dalton, H. (1977). “The soluble methane monooxygenase of Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath)—its ability to oxygenate n‐alkanes, n‐alkenes, ethers, and alicyclic, aromatic and heterocyclic compounds.” Biochem. J., 165, 395–402.
7.
Crittenden, J. C., Cortright, R. D., Rick, B. G., Tang, S. R., Perram, D. L., and Rigg, T. J. (1987). An evaluation of the technical feasibility of the air stripping solvent recovery process. American Water Works Association Research Foundation, Denver, Colo.
8.
Fogel, M. M., Taddeo, A. R., and Fogel, S. (1987). “Biodegradation of chlorinated ethenes by a methane‐utilizing mixed culture.” Appl. and Envir. Microbiol., 51(4), 720–724.
9.
Gossett, J. M., Cameron, C. E., Eckstrom, B. P., Goodman, C., and Lincoff, A. H. (1985). “Mass transfer coefficients and Henry's constants for packed‐tower air stripping of volatile organics: measurements and correlations.” Rep. No. ESL‐TR‐85‐18, Engineering and Services Laboratory, U.S. Air Force Engineering and Services Center, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
10.
Henson, M. J., Yates, M. Y., and Cochran, J. W. (1989). “Metabolism of chlorinated methanes, ethanes and ethylenes by a mixed bacterial culture growing on methane.” J. Indust. Microbiol., 4, 29–35.
11.
Janssen, R. B., Grobben, G., Hoekstra, R., Oldenhuis, R., and Witholt, B. (1988). “Degradation of trans‐1,2‐dichloroethene by mixed and pure cultures of methanotrophic bacteria.” Appl. Microbiology and Tech., 29, 392–399.
12.
Leson, G., and Winer, A. M. (1991). “Biofiltration: an innovative air pollution control technology for VOC emissions.” J. Air and Waste Mgmt. Assoc., 41(8), 1045–1054.
13.
Oldenhuis, R., Vink, R. L. J. M., Janssen, D. B., and Wilholt, B. (1989). “Degradation of chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons by Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b expressing soluble methane monooxygenase.” Appl. and Envir. Microbiol., 55(11), 2819–2826.
14.
Oldenhuis, R., Oedzes, J. Y., van der Waarde, J. J., and Janssen, D. B. (1991). “Kinetics of chlorinated hydrocarbon degradation by Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b and toxicity of trichloroethylene.” Appl. and Envir. Microbiol., 57(1), 7–14.
15.
Onda, K., Takeuchi, H., and Okumoto, Y. (1968). “Mass transfer coefficients between gas and liquid phases in packed columns.” J. Chem. Engrg. of Japan, Tokyo, Japan, 1(1), 56–62.
16.
Ottengraf, S. P. P., and van den Oever, A. H. C. (1983). “Kinetics of organic compound removal from waste gases with a biological filter.” Biotechnol. and Bioengrg., 25, 3089–3102.
17.
Ottengraf, S. P. P., Meesters, J. J. P., van den Oever, A.H.C., and Rozema, H. R. (1986). “Biological elimination of volatile xenobiotic compounds using biofilters.” Bioprocess Engrg., 1(1), 61–69.
18.
Patel, R. N., Hou, C. T., Laskin, A. I., and Felix, A. (1982). “Microbial oxidation of hydrocarbons: properties of a soluble methane monooxygenase from a facultative methane‐utilizing organism, Methylobacterium sp. Straub CRL‐26.” Appl. and Envir. Microbiol., 44(8), 1130–1137.
19.
Perry, R. H., and Green, D. W. (1984). Perry's chemical engineers' handbook. McGraw‐Hill Book Co., New York, N.Y.
20.
Rittmann, B. E., and McCarty, P. L. (1980). “Model of steady‐state‐biofilm kinetics.” Biotechnol. and Bioengrg., 22, 2343–2357.
21.
Rittmann, B. E., and McCarty, P. L. (1981). “Substrate flux into biofilms of any thickness.” J. Envir. Engrg. Div., ASCE, 107(4), 831–849.
22.
Speitel, G. E., Jr., and Closmann, F. B. (1991). “Chlorinated solvent biodegradation by methanotrophs in unsaturated soils.” J. Envir. Engrg., ASCE, 117(5), 541–558.
23.
Speitel, G. E., Jr., Thompson, R. C., and Weissman, D. (1992). “Kinetics of chloroform biodegradation by Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b.” Water Res., 27(1), 15–24.
24.
Standard methods. (1989). 17th Ed., American Public Health Association (APHA), Washington, D.C.
25.
Stirling, D. I., and Dalton, H. (1979). “The fortuitous oxidation and cometabolism of various carbon compounds by whole‐cell suspensions of Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath).” FEMS Microbiol. Lett., 5, 315–319.
26.
Tsien, H., Brusseau, G. A., Hanson, R. S., and Wackett, L. P. (1989). “Biodegradation of trichloroethylene by Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b.” Appl. and Envir. Microbiol. 55(12), 3155–3161.
27.
Whittenbury, R., Phillips, K. C., and Wilkinson, J. F. (1970). “Enrichment, isolation, and some properties of methane‐utilizing bacteria.” J. General Microbiology, 61, 205–218.
28.
Wilson, B. H., Pogue, D. W., and Canter, L. W. (1988). “Biological treatment of trichloroethylene and 1,1,1‐trichloroethane from contaminated air streams.” Proc., Petroleum Hydrocarbons Conf., National Well Water Association/American Petroleum Institute, Houston, Tex., 823–831.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 119 • Issue 4 • July 1993
Pages: 658 - 678
Copyright
Copyright © 1993 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Feb 27, 1992
Published online: Jul 1, 1993
Published in print: Jul 1993
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.