Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Determination Of Electron Donors In The Reductive Dechlorination Of Tetrachloroethene, Samantha L. Marasigan-Bernal

Theses

Several substrates, namely fatty acids and alcohols, were used to enhance the reductive microbial dechlorination of PCE to ethene. All of the microcosms amended with the volatile fatty acids (butyrate, succinate, lactate, formate, butyrate/formate mixture and butyrate/succinate mixture) demonstrated complete reductive dechlorination of PCE to ethane. The cultures amended with the butyrate/succinate mixture was the quickest to completely dechlorinate PCE to ethene (49 days). Those amended with butyrate, succinate, formate and the butyrate/formate mixture exhibited complete reductive, dechlorination at 77 days. Microcosms amended with lactate exhibited complete reductive dechlorination at 160 days.

The microcosms amended with the alcohols (ethanol, propanol, …

Biodegradation Of Pah Contaminated Soil And Sludge Using Non-Ionic Surfactants, Seema Narula

Dissertations

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are one of the most prevalent environmental pollutants contaminating a large number of industrial and Superfund sites. Low solubility and sorption to solid surfaces limit biodegradation rates of PAHs in the environment. Bioremediation of these compounds have been previously tested with partial success. In the present study, aerobic biodegradation of three PAHs (fluorene, phenanthrene, and pyrene) has been studied in shaker flasks, batch fermenter, and bioslurry reactor, in the presence of non-ionic surfactants. A mixed bacterial culture derived from both a refinery sludge and an activated sludge was used as the seed population in the degradation …