Process control factors for continuous microbial perchlorate reduction in the presence of zero-valent iron

Abstract

Process control parameters influencing microbial perchlorate reduction via a flow-through zero-valent iron (ZVI) column reactor were investigated in order to optimize perchlorate removal from water. Mixed perchlorate reducers were obtained from a wastewater treatment plant and inoculated into the reactor without further acclimation. Examined parameters included hydraulic residence time (HRT), pH, nutrients requirement, and perchlorate reduction kinetics. The minimum HRT for the system was concluded to be 8 hr. The removal efficiency of 10 mg·L⁻¹ influent perchlorate concentration was reduced by 20%–80% without control to the neutral pH (HRT= 8 hr). Therefore pH was determined to be an important parameter for microbial perchlorate reduction. Furthermore, a viable alternative to pH buffer was discussed. The microbial perchlorate reduction followed the first order kinetics, with a rate constant (K) of 0.761 hr⁻¹. The results from this study will contribute to the implementation of a safe, cost effective, and efficient system for perchlorate reduction to below regulated levels.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

perchlorate / zero-valent iron (ZVI) / microbial reduction / hydrogen

References

[1] Houge C. Changing course on perchlorate. Chemical and Engineering News, 2011, 89(6): 6−7

[2] ITRC. Perchlorate: overview of issues, status, and remedial options. 2005

[3] EPA, Interim drinking water health advisory for perchlorate. 2008

[4] Renner R. EPA perchlorate decision flawed, say advisers. Environmental Science and Technology, 2009, 43(3): 553−554

[5] Srinivasan R, Sorial G A. Treatment of perchlorate in drinking water: a critical review. Seperation and Purification Technologies, 2009, 69(1): 7−21

[6] Hurley K D, Shapley J R. Efficient heterogeneous catalytic reduction of perchlorate in water. Environmental Science and Technology, 2007, 41(6): 2044−2049

[7] Trumpolt C W, Crain M, Cullison G D, Flanagan S J P, Siegel L, Lathrop S. Perchlorate: sources, uses, and occurrences in the environment. Remediation Journal, 2005, 16(1): 65−89

[8] EPA. Known perchlorate releases in the U.S. 2005

[9] Dasgupta P K, Kirk A B, Dyke J V, Ohira S. Intake of iodine and perchlorate and excretion in human milk. Environmental Science and Technology, 2008, 42(21): 8115−8121

[10] Murray C W, Egan S K, Kim H, Beru N, Bolger P M. US food and drug administration's total diet study: dietary intake of perchlorate and iodine. Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology, 2008, 18(6): 571−580

[11] Greer M A, Goodman G, Pleus R C, Greer S E. Health effects assessment for environmental perchlorate contamination: the dose response for inhibition of thyroidal radioiodine uptake in humans. Environmental Health Perspectives, 2002, 110(9): 927−937

[12] Motzer W E. Perchlorate: problems, detection, and solutions. Environmental Forensics, 2001, 2(4): 301−311

[13] Xu J, Song Y, Min B, Steinberg L, Logan B E. Microbial degradation of perchlorate: principles and applications. Environmental Engineering Science, 2003, 20(5): 405−422

[14] Coates J D, Michaelidou U, Bruce R A, O’Connor S M, Crespi J N, Achenbach L A. Ubiquity and diversity of dissimilatory (per)chlorate-reducing bacteria. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 1999, 65(12): 5234−5241

[15] Okeke B C, Frankenberger W T Jr. Molecular analysis of a perchlorate reductase from perchlorate-respiring bacterium Perclace. Microbiological Research, 2003, 158(4): 337−344

[16] Min B, Evans P J, Chu A K, Logan B E. Perchlorate removal in sand and plastic media bioreactors. Water Research, 2004, 38(1): 47−60

[17] Kim K, Logan B E. Microbial reduction of perchlorate in pure and mixed culture packed-bed bioreactors. Water Research, 2001, 35(13): 3071−3076

[18] Nor S J, Lee S H, Cho K S, Cha D K, Lee K I, Ryu H W. Microbial treatment of high-strength perchlorate wastewater. Bioresource Technology, 2011, 102(2): 835−841

[19] Ahn S C, Cha D K, Kim B J, Oh S Y. Detoxification of PAX-21 ammunitions wastewater by zero-valent iron for microbial reduction of perchlorate. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2011, 192(2): 909−914

[20] Miller J P, Logan B E. Sustained perchlorate degradation in an autotrophic, gas-phase, packed-bed bioreactor. Environmental Science & Technology, 2000, 34(14): 3018−3022

[21] Zhang H, Bruns M A, Logan B E. Perchlorate reduction by a novel chemolithoautotrophic, hydrogen-oxidizing bacterium. Environmental Microbiology, 2002, 4(10): 570−576

[22] Giblin T L, Herman D C, Frankenberger W T. Removal of perchlorate from ground water by hydrogen-utilizing bacteria. Journal of Environmental Quality, 2000, 29(4): 1057−1062

[23] Nerenberg R, Rittmann B E, Najm I. Perchlorate reduction in a hydrogen-based membrane biofilm reactor. Journal- American Water Works Association, 2002, 94: 103−114

[24] Nerenberg R, Kawagoshi Y, Rittmann B E. Kinetics of a hydrogen-oxidizing, perchlorate-reducing bacterium. Water Research, 2006, 40(17): 3290−3296

[25] Logan B E. A review of chlorate- and perchlorate-respiring microorganisms. Bioremediation Journal, 1998, 2(2): 69−79

[26] Yu X, Amrhein C, Deshusses M A, Matsumoto M R. Perchlorate reduction by autotrophic bacteria in the presence of zero-valent iron. Environmental Science and Technology, 2006, 40(4): 1328−1334

[27] Son A, Lee J, Chiu P C, Kim B J, Cha D K. Microbial reduction of perchlorate with zero-valent iron. Water Research, 2006, 40(10): 2027−2032

[28] Ju X, Sierra-Alvarez R, Field J, Byrnes D J, Bentley H, Bentley R. Microbial perchlorate reduction with elemental sulfur and other inorganic electron donors. Chemosphere, 2008, 71(1): 114−122

[29] Sahu A K, Conneely T, Nusslein K R, Ergas S J. Biological perchlorate reduction in packed bed reactors using elemental sulfur. Environmental Science and Technology, 2009, 43(12): 4466−4471

[30] Yu X, Amrhein C, Deshusses M A. Perchlorate reduction by autotrophic bacteria attached to zerovalent iron in a flow-through reactor. Environmental Engineering Science, 2007, 41: 990−997

[31] Son A, Schmidt C J, Shin H, Cha D K. Microbial community analysis of perchlorate-reducing cultures growing on zero-valent iron. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2011, 185(2−3): 669−676

[32] Logan B E. Analysis of overall perchlorate removal rates on packed bed bioreactors. Journal of Environmental Engineering, 2001, 127(5): 469−471

[33] Hautman, D P, Munch D J. EPA method 314.0. Determination of perchlorate in drinking water using ion chromatography. 1999

[34] Fetter C W. Applied Hydrogeology. 4th ed. London: Prentice Hall, 2001

[35] Shrout J D, Williams A G B, Scherer M M, Parkin G F. Inhibition of bacterial perchlorate reduction by zero valent iron. Biodegradation, 2005, 16(1): 23−32

[36] Wu D, He P, Xu X, Zhou M, Zhang Z, Houda Z. The effect of various reaction parameters on bioremediation of perchlorate-contaminated water. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2008, 150(2): 419−423

[37] Wang C, Lippincott L, Meng X. Kinetics of biological perchlorate reduction and pH effect. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2008, 153(1−2): 663−669

[38] Logan B E, Zhang H S, Mulvaney P, Milner M G, Head I M, Unz R F. Kinetics of perchlorate- and chlorate-respiring bacteria. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 2001, 67(6): 2499−2506

[39] Tchobanaglous G. Wastewater Engineering: Treatment,Disposal, and Reuse. New York: McGraw Hill, 1991

[40] NRC. Use of reclaimed water and sludge in food crop production. EPA: Washington, DC, 1996

[41] Cookson J T. Removal of submicron particles in packed beds. Environmental Science and Technology, 1970, 4(2): 128−134

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

2013 Higher Education Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg