Biologically-enhanced removal of PCE from NAPL source zones

The influence of dechlorinating microorganisms on PCE and its reduction products in a residual nonaqueous phase liquid (NAPL) source zone was investigated. Experiments were conducted in upflow columns containing glass beads (diameters 500-750 microns) contaminated with a residual NAPL consisting of tridecane and labeled 14C-PCE. Three columns were inoculated with a mixed PCE-dechlorinating culture, that was fed electron donor (pyruvate) at concentrations of 25, 100, and 250 mM. Pyruvate was fermented in all columns with essentially no methanogenic activity. Comparisons between actively dechlorinating columns and abiotic-PCE columns demonstrated that dechlorination resulted in an increase in total PCE removal, up to a factor of 16 over dissolution. PCE was sequentially reduced to trichloroethene, cis-dichloroethene, and vinyl chloride without ethene formation over the experimental period in the two columns operated at the lower electron donor levels. Total chlorinated ethenes removal for the columns that retained dechlorinating populations was enhanced from 5.0 to 6.5 times over the removal that would have resulted from dissolution alone. The system fed the highest pyruvate levels, interestingly, lost dechlorinating activity early in the experiment.