Register      Login
Microbiology Australia Microbiology Australia Society
Microbiology Australia, bringing Microbiologists together
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Microbiology of chloroethene degradation in groundwater

Sayali S Patil A , Eric M Adetutu A and Andrew S Ball A B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A School of Applied Sciences
RMIT University
PO Box 71
Vic. 3083, Australia.

B Corresponding author. Tel: +61 3 9925 7122
Fax: +61 3 9925 7110
Email: andy.ball@rmit.edu.au

Microbiology Australia 35(4) 211-214 https://doi.org/10.1071/MA14067
Published: 3 November 2014

Abstract

Industrial development, population growth and urbanisation have all contributed to an increase in the release of chemical pollutants into the environment. Consequently, many natural resources show some degree of anthropogenic impact, including the widespread contamination of groundwater aquifers by hazardous wastes1. This is particularly significant because groundwater represents about 98% of the available freshwater on the planet. The fact that we are already using approximately 50% of readily available freshwater makes groundwater protection and clean-up of paramount importance. Increasing incidences of aquifer contamination by chloroethene solvents is of current concern throughout Australia. Further, due to the adverse effects of chloroethene contaminants to environmental and human well-being, it is of upmost importance to understand the potential for the natural microbial population within the groundwater to degrade the chloroethene to innocuous byproducts.


References

[1]  Lovley, D.R. (2001) Bioremediation: anaerobes to the rescue. Science 293, 1444–1446.
Bioremediation: anaerobes to the rescue.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD3MXmsVektbo%3D&md5=1739d7fb41f10f896cf983a45e7e82dfCAS | 11520973PubMed |

[2]  Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. (2011) Air toxics and indoor air quality in Australia. Australian Government, Canberra, ACT. http://www.environment.gov.au/archive/atmosphere/airquality/publications/sok/intro.html

[3]  Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. (2011) ACT state of the environment report, vol. 2. Australian Government, Canberra, ACT.

[4]  Bureau Veritas (2011) Groundwater installation and round 5 groundwater monitoring event. Site report.

[5]  Dekant, W. (2001) Does exposure to trichloroethene in low doses constitute a cancer risk to humans? Hum. Ecol. Risk Assess. 7, 657–675.
Does exposure to trichloroethene in low doses constitute a cancer risk to humans?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD3MXmvF2rsLk%3D&md5=a397bf179f71a65502dda991c69ebf4bCAS |

[6]  Brüning, T. et al. (2003) Renal cell cancer risk and occupational exposure to trichloroethylene: results of a consecutive case-control study in Arnsberg, Germany. Am. J. Ind. Med. 43, 274–285.
Renal cell cancer risk and occupational exposure to trichloroethylene: results of a consecutive case-control study in Arnsberg, Germany.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 12594774PubMed |

[7]  Druschel, S.J. and Kinner, N.E. (2013) Improvements to TCE microcosm protocols for biostimulation in bedrock aquifers. Remediation 23, 73–84.
Improvements to TCE microcosm protocols for biostimulation in bedrock aquifers.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

[8]  Dugat-Bony, E. et al. (1995) Bioremediation Engineering, Design and Application. USA, McGraw-Hill, Inc.

[9]  Hirzel, S. (1994) Trichloroethene. Germany, German Chemical Society.

[10]  Sharma, P.K. and McCarty, P.L. (1996) Isolation and characterization of a facultatively aerobic bacterium that reductively dehalogenates tetrachloroethene to cis-1,2- dichloroethene. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 62, 761–765.
| 1:CAS:528:DyaK28XhsVWru7Y%3D&md5=ad2343ce15a25d097acf5e065ecab9a5CAS | 16535267PubMed |

[11]  Holliger, C. et al. (1998) Reductive dechlorination in the energy metabolism of anaerobic bacteria. FEMS Microbiol. Rev. 22, 383–398.
Reductive dechlorination in the energy metabolism of anaerobic bacteria.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DyaK1MXksFCqtw%3D%3D&md5=74928e6e079d1998ba639a70d157541fCAS |

[12]  Imfeld, G. (2009) PhD Thesis. Faculty of Science, University of Neuchatel, Switzerland.

[13]  Futagami, T. et al. (2008) Biochemical and genetic bases of dehalorespiration. Chem. Rec. 8, 1–12.
Biochemical and genetic bases of dehalorespiration.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD1cXjvVamsr0%3D&md5=0cff1987abb5eb101831df29acea4339CAS | 18302277PubMed |

[14]  Ernst, T. (2009) Use of Dehalococcoides to bioremediate groundwater contaminated with chlorinated solvents. MMG 445 Basic Biotechnology 5, 72–77.

[15]  Maymó-Gatell, X. et al. (1997) Isolation of a bacterium that reductively dechlorinates tetrachloroethene to ethene. Science 276, 1568–1571.
Isolation of a bacterium that reductively dechlorinates tetrachloroethene to ethene.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 9171062PubMed |

[16]  Maymó-Gatell, X. et al. (1999) Reductive dechlorination of chlorinated ethenes and 1,2-dichloroethane by ‘Dehalococcoides ethenogenes’ 195. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 65, 3108–3113.
| 10388710PubMed |

[17]  Sung, Y. et al. (2006) Geobacter lovleyi sp. nov.strain SZ, a novel metal-reducing and tetrachloroethene-dechlorinating bacterium. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 72, 2775–2782.
Geobacter lovleyi sp. nov.strain SZ, a novel metal-reducing and tetrachloroethene-dechlorinating bacterium.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD28XktFansrk%3D&md5=a6388b5bd6a15d983fb516605a1f2009CAS | 16597982PubMed |

[18]  Jayachandran, G. et al. (2004) Studies on hydrogenase activity and chlorobenzene respiration in Dehalococcoides sp. strain CBDB1. Arch. Microbiol. 182, 498–504.
| 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD2cXhtVeju73O&md5=3c140c80812833b9a904b0793370805eCAS | 15490122PubMed |

[19]  Adrian, L. et al. (2007) Growth of Dehalococcoides strains with chlorophenols as electron acceptors. Environ. Sci. Technol. 41, 2318–2323.
Growth of Dehalococcoides strains with chlorophenols as electron acceptors.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD2sXhvFKqt74%3D&md5=aa19a58b657267c56a55c48f36d428eaCAS | 17438781PubMed |

[20]  Krajmalnik-Brown, R. et al. (2004) Genetic identification of a putative vinyl chloride reductase in Dehalococcoides sp. strain BAV1. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 70, 6347–6351.
Genetic identification of a putative vinyl chloride reductase in Dehalococcoides sp. strain BAV1.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD2cXosl2htrw%3D&md5=4df75d588f739ef14fc68efd09b7156fCAS | 15466590PubMed |