Trichloroethylene aerobic cometabolism by suspended and immobilized butane-growing microbial consortia: A kinetic study

A kinetic study of butane uptake and trichloroethylene (TCE) aerobic cometabolism was conducted by two suspended-cell (15 and 30°C) and two attached-cell (15 and 30°C) consortia obtained from the indigenous biomass of a TCE-contaminated aquifer. The shift from suspended to attached cells resulted in an increase of butane (15 and 30°C) and TCE (15°C) biodegradation rates, and a significant decrease of butane inhibition on TCE biodegradation. The TCE 15°C maximum specific biodegradation rate was equal to 0.011 mg TCE/mg protein/d with suspended cells and 0.021 mg TCE/mg protein/d with attached cells. The type of mutual butane/TCE inhibition depended on temperature and biomass conditions. On the basis of a continuous-flow simulation, a packed-bed PFR inoculated with the 15°C or 30°C attached-cell consortium could attain a 99.96% conversion of the studied site’s average TCE concentration with a 0.4-0.5-day hydraulic residence time, with a low effect of temperature on the TCE degradation performances