Dechlorinating performance of Dehalococcoides spp. mixed culture enhanced by tourmaline

Dehalococcoides spp. were extensively studied and applied to in-situ trichloroethylene (TCE) remediation since it is the only genus that can reduce TCE to harmless ethene completely. However, this technology was hindered because of the requirement of electron donor (i.e. hydrogen or fermentable organic substrate). Considering the spontaneous electric field and in-situ hydrogen production capacity of tourmaline, this mineral was used as an environmental-friendly bio-promoter for dechlorinating mixed culture containing Dehalococcoides spp. in this work. Research results showed that biodegradation of TCE and the intermediates were both significantly improved by tourmaline. The first-order TCE degradation rate coefficient increased from 0.0125 h^-1 for the tourmaline-free system to 0.0306 h^-1 for the system combined with 5 g L^-1 tourmaline, and ethene production increased by 36%. The outstanding TCE-degrading ability in the tourmaline-bacteria system without the addition of fermentative electron donor (i.e. methanol) indicated that tourmaline could also produce electron donor to support dechlorinating bacteria. Tourmaline could have direct electric biostimulatory effect and indirect enhanced effect associated with water-derived H₂ production in the electric field of tourmaline. Meanwhile, PCR-DGGE analysis exhibited that tourmaline could accelerate the succession of a bacterial, dechlorinating community. The distinctive effects of tourmaline on bacteria were related to its stable electric properties. Therefore, tourmaline could be continuously used in the bioremediation. The present study provided a safe, convenient and persistent alternative to the commonly used enhancement approaches for anaerobic reductive dechlorination process.