Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) have been shown to inhibit
biodegradation
(i.e., organohalide respiration) of chlorinated ethenes. The potential
negative impacts of PFAAs on microbial species performing organohalide
respiration, particularly Dehalococcoides mccartyi (Dhc), and the efficacy of in situ bioremediation
are a critical concern for comingled PFAA-chlorinated ethene plumes.
Batch reactor (no soil) and microcosm (with soil) experiments, containing
a PFAA mixture and bioaugmented with KB-1, were completed to assess
the impact of PFAAs on chlorinated ethene organohalide respiration.
In batch reactors, PFAAs delayed complete biodegradation of cis-1,2-dichloroethene (cis-DCE) to ethene.
Maximum substrate utilization rates (a metric for quantifying biodegradation
rates) were fit to batch reactor experiments using a numerical model
that accounted for chlorinated ethene losses to septa. Fitted values
for cis-DCE and vinyl chloride biodegradation were
significantly lower (p < 0.05) in batch reactors
containing ≥50 mg/L PFAAs. Examination of reductive dehalogenase
genes implicated in ethene formation revealed a PFAA-associated change
in the Dhc community from cells harboring the vcrA gene to those harboring the bvcA gene.
Organohalide respiration of chlorinated ethenes was not impaired in
microcosm experiments with PFAA concentrations of 38.7 mg/L and less,
suggesting that a microbial community containing multiple strains
of Dhc is unlikely to be inhibited by PFAAs at lower,
environmentally relevant concentrations.
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