Response of chlorinated hydrocarbon transformation and microbial community structure in an aquifer to joint H2 and O2

Hydrogen (H-2) and oxygen (O-2) are critical electron donors and acceptors to promote the anaerobic and aerobic microbial transformation of chlorinated hydrocarbons (CHCs), respectively. Electrochemical technology can effectively supply H-2 and O-2 directly to an aquifer. However, the response of CHC transformation and microbial community structure to joint H-2 and O-2 are still unclear. In this work, microcosms containing different combinations of H-2 and O-2 were constructed with natural sediments and nine mixed CHCs. The joint H-2 and O-2 microcosm (H-2/O-2 microcosm) significantly promoted the biotransformation of trichloroethylene (TCE), trans-dichloroethene (tDCE) and chloroform (CF). Illumina sequencing analyses suggested that a particular microbial community was formed in the H-2/O-2 microcosm. The specific microbial species included Methyloversatilis, Dechloromonas, Sediminibacterium, Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Curvibacter, Comamonas and Acidovorax, and the relative abundance of the tceA, phe and soxB genes synchronously increased. These results suggested that some specific microbes are potential CHC converters using H-2 and O-2 as energy sources, and aerobic and anaerobic transformations exist simultaneously in the H-2/O-2 microcosm. It provides a theoretical basis for establishing efficient green remediation technologies for CHC contaminated aquifers.

Automated summary

This study shows that the joint use of H-2 and O-2 can significantly promote the microbial transformation of chlorinated hydrocarbons. Illumina sequencing analyses revealed the formation of a specific microbial community in the H-2/O-2 microcosm, with certain microbes utilizing H-2 and O-2 as energy sources for chlorinated hydrocarbon conversion.