Effects of ethanol on benzene degradation under denitrifying conditions

As a popular fuel oxygenate, ethanol frequently co-occurs with petroleum hydrocarbons, including benzene, in groundwater that is contaminated by gasoline. Anaerobic pathways have been identified in benzene biodegradation. Limited reports focus on denitrifying degradation of benzene; however, the role of ethanol in this pathway is unknown. This study investigated the effects of ethanol on benzene degradation under denitrifying condition by using groundwater and sediment samples collected from locations with known history of benzene contamination. Results indicate that benzene can be biodegraded under denitrifying conditions. When concentrations of nitrate were in the range of 480-920 mg/L, there is a critical value in ethanol concentration:Ethanol at concentration less than the critical value enhanced the denitrifying degradation of benzene over a period of time; in contrast, ethanol at concentration higher than the critical value, which was degraded before benzene, demonstrated an inhibitory effect. And the critical value varied with nitrate concentration. It appears that the role of ethanol may be closely associated with its own and nitrate concentrations. Two mathematical equations were established based on the data and may be used to determine if ethanol presents an enhancing or inhibitory effect on denitrification of benzene. The roles of ethanol in COD/NO(3) (-)-N and the subsequent denitrification of benzene were also studied. An optimal COD/NO(3) (-)-N ratio of 1.32 was obtained for this testing system, in which the highest rate of benzene degradation can be achieved under denitrifying conditions.