Use of organic amendments derived from biosolids for groundwater remediation of TCE

Many groundwater aquifers around the world are contaminated with trichloroethene (TCE), which can be harmful to human and ecosystem health. Permeable Reactive Barriers (PRB) are commonly used to remediate TCE-contaminated groundwaters especially when a point source is ill defined. Using biosolids from wastewater treatment plants as a PRB filling material can provide a source of carbon and nutrients for dechlorinating bacterial activity. However, under the anaerobic conditions of the PRB, methanogenesis can also occur which can adversely affect reductive dechlorination. We conducted bench scale experiments to evaluate the effect of biosolids on TCE reductive dechlorination and found that methanogenesis was significantly higher in the reactors amended with biosolids, but that reductive dechlori-nation did not decrease. Furthermore, the microbial communities in the biosolid-enhanced reactors were more abundant with obligate dechlorinators, such as Dehalobacter and Dehalogenimonas, than the reactors amended only with the dechlorinating culture. The biosolids enhanced the presence and abundance of methanogens and acetogens, which had a positive effect on maintaining an efficient dechlorinating microbial community and provided the necessary enzymes, cofactors, and electron donors. These results indicate that waste materials such as biosolids can be turned into a valuable resource for bioremediation of TCE and likely other contaminants.

Automated summary

Many groundwater aquifers worldwide are polluted with trichloroethene (TCE), which poses risks to human and ecosystem health. Permeable Reactive Barriers (PRB) are commonly used for TCE-contaminated groundwater remediation, and biosolids from wastewater treatment plants can serve as a beneficial PRB filling material. Bench scale experiments found that although biosolids led to increased methanogenesis, TCE reductive dechlorination was not impaired. Moreover, biosolids enhanced the abundance of dechlorination microorganisms and methanogens, which contributed to maintaining an efficient dechlorinating microbial community.