In situ microcosms to evaluate natural attenuation potentials in contaminated aquifers

Stelzer, Nicole; Büning, Christian; Pfeifer, Frank; Dohrmann, Anja B.; Tebbe, Christoph C.; Nijenhuis, Ivonne; Kästner, Matthias; Richnow, Hans H.

doi:10.1016/j.orggeochem.2006.05.011

Cited by 48 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…Elevated concentrations of the latter are indicative of bacterial reduction of Fe(III) to Fe(II). The potential for benzene and toluene degradation in the center and at the fringes of the contamination plume was demonstrated in previous experiments using BACTRAP microcosms (21). The second analyzed aquifer is located close to a former BPP in the vicinity of a coal mine in the Ruhr area.…”

Section: Vol 77 2011mentioning

confidence: 62%

“…The anoxic aquifer at the Gneisenau site is located near a former coking plant in the vicinity of a coal mine in the Ruhr area (Germany). The hydrological environment was previously described (21). In situ microcosms were incubated in well P36F, located at the fringe of a BTEX plume in the quaternary anoxic aquifer.…”

Section: Vol 77 2011mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The microcosms were each deployed in a monitoring well of the individual contaminated aquifers for a period of 100 days at an 8-m depth. Preparation of the in situ microcosms was carried out as described previously (21). Bio-Sep beads (K. Sublette, University of Tulsa) were loaded with 13 C-labeled benzene (Ն99% 13 C; Campro Scientific) or unlabeled benzene (100…”

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confidence: 99%

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Combined Application of PCR-Based Functional Assays for the Detection of Aromatic-Compound-Degrading Anaerobes

Kuntze

Vogt

Richnow

et al. 2011

Appl Environ Microbiol

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Section: Vol 77 2011mentioning

confidence: 62%

Section: Vol 77 2011mentioning

confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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Combined Application of PCR-Based Functional Assays for the Detection of Aromatic-Compound-Degrading Anaerobes

Kuntze

Vogt

Richnow

et al. 2011

Appl Environ Microbiol

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“…In situ approaches into groundwater systems have been performed using Bio-Sep beads carrying 13 C-labeled benzene (33)(34)(35). Such assays are only successful when the biodegrading populations colonize the Bio-Sep beads and form a biofilm.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Biomarkers are then analyzed to identify the organisms responsible for substrate metabolism (29)(30)(31). Previously, SIP investigations of the metabolism of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) compounds largely focused on anaerobic benzene and toluene degradation, using PLFA and rRNA-based fingerprinting techniques to identify the active populations (32)(33)(34)(35). DNA-and RNA-based benzene SIP investigations have been conducted in coal tarcontaminated sediment, gasoline-contaminated water, and soil (31,36,37).…”

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confidence: 99%

Benzene Degradation by a Variovorax Species within a Coal Tar-Contaminated Groundwater Microbial Community

Posman

DeRito

Madsen

2017

Appl Environ Microbiol

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Investigations of environmental microbial communities are crucial for the discovery of populations capable of degrading hazardous compounds and may lead to improved bioremediation strategies. The goal of this study was to identify microorganisms responsible for aerobic benzene degradation in coal tar-contaminated groundwater. Benzene degradation was monitored in laboratory incubations of well waters using gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Stable isotope probing (SIP) experiments using [13C]benzene enabled us to obtain 13C-labled community DNA. From this, 16S rRNA clone libraries identified Gammaproteobacteria and Betaproteobacteria as the active benzene-metabolizing microbial populations. Subsequent cultivation experiments yielded nine bacterial isolates that grew in the presence of benzene; five were confirmed in laboratory cultures to grow on benzene. The isolated benzene-degrading organisms were genotypically similar (>97% 16S rRNA gene nucleotide identities) to the organisms identified in SIP experiments. One isolate, Variovorax MAK3, was further investigated for the expression of a putative aromatic ring-hydroxylating dioxygenase (RHD) hypothesized to be involved in benzene degradation. Microcosm experiments using Variovorax MAK3 revealed a 10-fold increase in RHD (Vapar_5383) expression, establishing a link between this gene and benzene degradation. Furthermore, the addition of Variovorax MAK3 to microcosms prepared from site waters accelerated community benzene degradation and correspondingly increased RHD gene expression. In microcosms using uninoculated groundwater, quantitative (q)PCR assays (with 16S rRNA and RDH genes) showed that Variovorax was present and responsive to added benzene. These data demonstrate how the convergence of cultivation-dependent and -independent techniques can boost understandings of active populations and functional genes in complex benzene-degrading microbial communities. IMPORTANCE Benzene is a human carcinogen whose presence in contaminated groundwater drives environmental cleanup efforts. Although the aerobic biodegradation of benzene has long been established, knowledge of the identity of the microorganisms in complex naturally occurring microbial communities responsible for benzene biodegradation has evaded scientific inquiry for many decades. Here, we applied a molecular biology technique known as stable isotope probing (SIP) to the microbial communities residing in contaminated groundwater samples to identify the community members active in benzene biodegradation. We complemented this approach by isolating and growing in the laboratory a bacterium representative of the bacteria found using SIP. Further characterization of the isolated bacterium enabled us to track the expression of a key gene that attacks benzene both in pure cultures of the bacterium and in the naturally occurring groundwater microbial community. This work advances information regarding the documentation of microbial processes, especially the populations and genes that contribute to bioremediation.

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Submersible microbial fuel cell sensor for monitoring microbial activity and BOD in groundwater: Focusing on impact of anodic biofilm on sensor applicability

Zhang

Angelidaki

2011

Biotech & Bioengineering

115

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A sensor, based on a submersible microbial fuel cell (SUMFC), was developed for in situ monitoring of microbial activity and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) in groundwater. Presence or absence of a biofilm on the anode was a decisive factor for the applicability of the sensor. Fresh anode was required for application of the sensor for microbial activity measurement, while biofilm-colonized anode was needed for utilizing the sensor for BOD content measurement. The current density of SUMFC sensor equipped with a biofilm-colonized anode showed linear relationship with BOD content, to up to 250 mg/L (∼233 ± 1 mA/m(2)), with a response time of <0.67 h. This sensor could, however, not measure microbial activity, as indicated by the indifferent current produced at varying active microorganisms concentration, which was expressed as microbial adenosine-triphosphate (ATP) concentration. On the contrary, the current density (0.6 ± 0.1 to 12.4 ± 0.1 mA/m(2)) of the SUMFC sensor equipped with a fresh anode showed linear relationship, with active microorganism concentrations from 0 to 6.52 nmol-ATP/L, while no correlation between the current and BOD was observed. It was found that temperature, pH, conductivity, and inorganic solid content were significantly affecting the sensitivity of the sensor. Lastly, the sensor was tested with real contaminated groundwater, where the microbial activity and BOD content could be detected in <3.1 h. The microbial activity and BOD concentration measured by SUMFC sensor fitted well with the one measured by the standard methods, with deviations ranging from 15% to 22% and 6% to 16%, respectively. The SUMFC sensor provides a new way for in situ and quantitative monitoring contaminants content and biological activity during bioremediation process in variety of anoxic aquifers.

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In situ microcosms to evaluate natural attenuation potentials in contaminated aquifers

Cited by 48 publications

References 39 publications

Combined Application of PCR-Based Functional Assays for the Detection of Aromatic-Compound-Degrading Anaerobes

Combined Application of PCR-Based Functional Assays for the Detection of Aromatic-Compound-Degrading Anaerobes

Benzene Degradation by a Variovorax Species within a Coal Tar-Contaminated Groundwater Microbial Community

Submersible microbial fuel cell sensor for monitoring microbial activity and BOD in groundwater: Focusing on impact of anodic biofilm on sensor applicability

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