Evaluation of ethyl tert-butyl ether biodegradation in a contaminated aquifer by compound-specific isotope analysis and in situ microcosms | Health & Environmental Research Online (HERO)

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HERO ID

2849954

Reference Type

Journal Article

Title

Evaluation of ethyl tert-butyl ether biodegradation in a contaminated aquifer by compound-specific isotope analysis and in situ microcosms

Author(s)

Bombach, P; Nägele, N; Rosell, M; Richnow, HH; Fischer, A

Year

2015

Is Peer Reviewed?

Yes

Journal

Journal of Hazardous Materials
ISSN: 0304-3894
EISSN: 1873-3336

Volume

286

Page Numbers

100-106

Language

English

PMID

25559863

DOI

10.1016/j.jhazmat.2014.12.028

Web of Science Id

WOS:000351963100012

URL

https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84920155826&doi=10.1016%2fj.jhazmat.2014.12.028&partnerID=40&md5=af792a0044b7ba26e85020b9e215a1dd
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Abstract

Ethyl tert-butyl ether (ETBE) is an upcoming groundwater pollutant in Europe whose environmental fate has been less investigated, thus far. In the present study, we investigated the in situ biodegradation of ETBE in a fuel-contaminated aquifer using compound-specific stable isotope analysis (CSIA), and in situ microcosms in combination with total lipid fatty acid (TLFA)-stable isotope probing (SIP). In a first field investigation, CSIA revealed insignificant carbon isotope fractionation, but low hydrogen isotope fractionation of up to +14 parts per thousand along the prevailing anoxic ETBE plume suggesting biodegradation of ETBE. Ten months later, oxygen injection was conducted to enhance the biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons (PH) at the field site. Within the framework of this remediation measure, in situ microcosms loaded with [C-13(6)]-ETBE (BACTRAP (R) s) were exposed for 119 days in selected groundwater wells to assess the biodegradation of ETBE by TLFA-SIP under the following conditions: (i) ETBE as main contaminant; (ii) ETBE as main contaminant subjected to oxygen injection; (iii) ETBE plus other PH; (iv) ETBE plus other PH subjected to oxygen injection. Under all conditions investigated, significant C-13-incorporation into microbial total lipid fatty acids extracted from the in situ microcosms was found, providing clear evidence of ETBE biodegradation. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Keywords

ETBE biodegradation; Compound-specific stable isotope analysis (CSIA); In situ microcosm (BACTRAP); Total lipid fatty acid-stable isotope probing (TLFA-SIP); Groundwater remediation