Browsing by Author "Danko, Anthony S."
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- Bioelectrochemically-assisted reductive dechlorination of 1,2-dichloroethane by a Dehalococcoides-enriched microbial culturePublication . Leitão, Patrícia; Rossetti, Simona; Nouws, Henri P.A.; Danko, Anthony S.; Majone, Mauro; Aulenta, FedericoThe aim of this study was to verify the possibility to use a polarized graphite electrode as an electron donor for the reductive dechlorination of 1,2-dichloroethane, an ubiquitous groundwater contaminant. The rate of 1,2-DCA dechlorination almost linearly increased by decreasing the set cathode potential over a broad range of set cathode potentials (i.e., from −300 mV to −900 mV vs. the standard hydrogen electrode). This process was primarily dependent on electrolytic H2 generation. On the other hand, reductive dechlorination proceeded (although quite slowly) with a very high Coulombic efficiency (near 70%) at a set cathode potential of −300 mV, where no H2 production occurred. Under this condition, reductive dechlorination was likely driven by direct electron uptake from the surface of the polarized electrode. Taken as a whole, this study further extends the range of chlorinated contaminants which can be treated with bioelectrochemical systems.
- Enrichment of Dehalococcoides mccartyi spp. from a municipal activated sludge during AQDS-mediated bioelectrochemical dechlorination of 1,2-dichloroethane to ethenePublication . Leitão, Patrícia; Rossetti, Simona; Danko, Anthony S.; Nouws, Henri; Aulenta, FedericoThe application of bioelectrochemical systems (BES) for the treatment of chloroethanes has been so far limited, in spite of the high frequency that these contaminants are detected at contaminated sites. This work studied the biodegradation of 1,2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCA) in a lab-scale BES, inoculated with a municipal activated sludge and operated under a range of conditions, spanning from oxidative to reductive, both in the presence and in the absence of the humic acid analogue anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonate (AQDS) as a redox mediator. The results showed stable dechlorination of 1,2-DCA to ethene (up to 65 ± 5 lmol/L d), when the BES was operated at a set potential of 300 mV vs. SHE, in the presence of AQDS. Sustained filled-and-draw operation resulted in the enrichment of Dehalococcoides mccartyi. The results of this work provide new insights into the applicability of BES for groundwater remediation and the potential interaction between biogeochemistry and 1,2-DCA in humics-rich contaminated aquifers.
- Impact of magnetite nanoparticles on the syntrophic dechlorination of 1,2-dichloroethanePublication . Leitão, Patrícia; Aulenta, Federico; Rossetti, Simona; Nouws, Henri; Danko, Anthony S.In anaerobic environments microorganisms exchange electrons with community members and with soil and groundwater compounds. Interspecies electron transfer (IET) occurs by several mechanisms: diffusion of redox compounds or direct contact between cells. This latter mechanism may be facilitated by the presence of conductive nanoparticles (NP), possibly serving as electron conduits among microorganisms. Our study examined the effect of magnetite (Fe3O4) NP on the dechlorination of 1,2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCA) by a mixed-culture. The addition of NP (170 mg L− 1 total Fe) enhanced the acetate-driven reductive dechlorination of 1,2-DCA to harmless ethene (via reductive dihaloelimination) up to 3.3-times (2.3 μeq L− 1 d− 1 vs. 0.7 μeq L− 1 d− 1), while decreasing the lag time by 0.8 times (23 days) when compared to unamended (magnetite-free) microcosms. Dechlorination activity was correlated with the abundance of Dehalococcoides mccartyi, which accounted up to 50% of total bacteria as quantified by CARD-FISH analysis, pointing to a key role of this microorganism in the process. Given the widespread abundance of conductive minerals in the environment, the results of this study may provide new insights into the fate of 1,2-DCA and suggest new tools for its remediation by linking biogeochemical mechanisms.
- Natural Magnetite Minerals Enhance 1,2-Dichloroethane Reductive DechlorinationPublication . Leitão, Patrícia; Tucci, Matteo; Cruz Viggi, Carolina; Nouws, Henri; Danko, Anthony S.; Aulenta, FedericoContamination of soil and groundwater by chlorinated solvents is an environmental issue of primary concern. Recently, electrically conductive iron particles have been proposed as a novel approach to accelerate anaerobic bioremediation processes. In fact, it was demonstrated that conductive particles facilitate the exchange of electrons between microorganisms via Direct Interspecies Electron Transfer (DIET) processes, thus enhancing the pollutant-degrading potential of the microbial community. However, the use of natural minerals in this context has not been reported so far. In this study, we applied, for the first time, natural magnetite and hematite to accelerate the reductive dechlorination of 1,2-dichloroethane by an enrichment culture in lab-scale anaerobic microcosms. After four feeding cycles, low magnetite-amended microcosms (13 mg/L) yielded the highest rate of 1,2-DCA reductive dechlorination and reduced methanogenic activity. By contrast, hematite did not display any apparent stimulatory effect. Surprisingly, in the presence of higher amounts of iron oxides, a weaker effect was obtained, probably because iron(III) present in the minerals competed for the electrons necessary for reductive dechlorination. For all microcosms, the concentration of the toxic byproduct vinyl chloride was negligible throughout the whole study. The SEM/EDS analysis confirmed the close interaction between the conductive iron oxide particles and the dechlorinating bacteria. This work opens the possibility of using natural conductive minerals for bioremediation applications as well as shedding light on the previously unrecognized role of such minerals in contaminated ecosystems