Skip to main content
PMC home page
Applied and Environmental Microbiology logoLink to Applied and Environmental Microbiology
. 1994 Jan;60(1):285–290. doi: 10.1128/aem.60.1.285-290.1994

A Gas Lift Bioreactor for Removal of Contaminants from the Vapor Phase

B D Ensley 1,*, P R Kurisko 1
PMCID: PMC201301  PMID: 16349158

Abstract

The cometabolic degradation of trichloroethylene (TCE) as a vapor by two aromatic-metabolizing pseudomonads was evaluated in an airlift reactor. These microorganisms were able to degrade 90 to 95% of TCE in air at concentrations at the reactor inlet of 300 to 4,000 μg/liter. Although exposure of the cells to high inlet concentrations of TCE (4 mg/liter) caused a decline in enzyme-specific activity and TCE removal efficiency, this loss in activity could be prevented or delayed by increasing the rate of cosubstrate addition. Under the appropriate operating conditions, the microorganisms were able to degrade even high concentrations of TCE and activity of the cells in the reactor could be maintained for periods of at least 2 weeks.

Full text

PDF
285

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Arciero D., Vannelli T., Logan M., Hooper A. B. Degradation of trichloroethylene by the ammonia-oxidizing bacterium Nitrosomonas europaea. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1989 Mar 15;159(2):640–643. doi: 10.1016/0006-291x(89)90042-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Fogel M. M., Taddeo A. R., Fogel S. Biodegradation of chlorinated ethenes by a methane-utilizing mixed culture. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1986 Apr;51(4):720–724. doi: 10.1128/aem.51.4.720-724.1986. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Folsom B. R., Chapman P. J., Pritchard P. H. Phenol and trichloroethylene degradation by Pseudomonas cepacia G4: kinetics and interactions between substrates. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1990 May;56(5):1279–1285. doi: 10.1128/aem.56.5.1279-1285.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Fox B. G., Borneman J. G., Wackett L. P., Lipscomb J. D. Haloalkene oxidation by the soluble methane monooxygenase from Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b: mechanistic and environmental implications. Biochemistry. 1990 Jul 10;29(27):6419–6427. doi: 10.1021/bi00479a013. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Hareland W. A., Crawford R. L., Chapman P. J., Dagley S. Metabolic function and properties of 4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid 1-hydroxylase from Pseudomonas acidovorans. J Bacteriol. 1975 Jan;121(1):272–285. doi: 10.1128/jb.121.1.272-285.1975. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Little C. D., Palumbo A. V., Herbes S. E., Lidstrom M. E., Tyndall R. L., Gilmer P. J. Trichloroethylene biodegradation by a methane-oxidizing bacterium. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1988 Apr;54(4):951–956. doi: 10.1128/aem.54.4.951-956.1988. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Nelson M. J., Montgomery S. O., O'neill E. J., Pritchard P. H. Aerobic metabolism of trichloroethylene by a bacterial isolate. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1986 Aug;52(2):383–384. doi: 10.1128/aem.52.2.383-384.1986. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Phelps T. J., Niedzielski J. J., Schram R. M., Herbes S. E., White D. C. Biodegradation of trichloroethylene in continuous-recycle expanded-bed bioreactors. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1990 Jun;56(6):1702–1709. doi: 10.1128/aem.56.6.1702-1709.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Stanier R. Y., Palleroni N. J., Doudoroff M. The aerobic pseudomonads: a taxonomic study. J Gen Microbiol. 1966 May;43(2):159–271. doi: 10.1099/00221287-43-2-159. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Wackett L. P., Brusseau G. A., Householder S. R., Hanson R. S. Survey of microbial oxygenases: trichloroethylene degradation by propane-oxidizing bacteria. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1989 Nov;55(11):2960–2964. doi: 10.1128/aem.55.11.2960-2964.1989. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Wackett L. P., Gibson D. T. Degradation of trichloroethylene by toluene dioxygenase in whole-cell studies with Pseudomonas putida F1. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1988 Jul;54(7):1703–1708. doi: 10.1128/aem.54.7.1703-1708.1988. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Wackett L. P., Householder S. R. Toxicity of Trichloroethylene to Pseudomonas putida F1 Is Mediated by Toluene Dioxygenase. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1989 Oct;55(10):2723–2725. doi: 10.1128/aem.55.10.2723-2725.1989. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Applied and Environmental Microbiology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES