Grantee Research Project Results

2004 Progress Report: Minimization of Hazardous Ion-Exchange Brine Waste by Biological Treatment of Perchlorate and Nitrate to Allow Brine Recycle

EPA Grant Number: R831276C017
Subproject: this is subproject number 017 , established and managed by the Center Director under grant CR831276
(EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
Center: Texas - Indiana Virtual STAR Center
Center Director: Gustafsson , Jan-Ake
Title: Minimization of Hazardous Ion-Exchange Brine Waste by Biological Treatment of Perchlorate and Nitrate to Allow Brine Recycle
Investigators: Roberts, D. J. , Clifford, Dennis
Institution: University of Houston - University Park
EPA Project Officer: Aja, Hayley
Project Period: December 1, 2003 through November 30, 2004
Project Period Covered by this Report: December 1, 2003 through November 30, 2004
Project Amount: Refer to main center abstract for funding details.
RFA: Gulf Coast Hazardous Substance Research Center (Lamar University) (1996) RFA Text |  Recipients Lists
Research Category: Hazardous Waste/Remediation , Targeted Research

Objective:

The objective of this research project is to refine the microbiological growth conditions and culture components to allow stable full-scale biological treatment of ion-exchange brine for recycle. The benefit of this research is the ability to remove perchlorate and nitrate from contaminated ground water needed as a drinking water source using a system that minimizes cost and waste products during the treatment.

Progress Summary:

The culture requires the addition of magnesium in concentrations dependant on the sodium (Na⁺) concentration (Mg/Na ratio should be ~0.11) for long-term stability. The culture has evolved to the state that only acetate will serve as a simple electron donor. Methanol and ethanol were not used by the culture for either nitrate or perchlorate reduction. Various organisms in the culture could grow in the presence of oxygen, nitrate, or perchlorate, but to date no pure culture grown in the presence of oxygen or nitrate could then use perchlorate as the electron acceptor, on either a defined acetate medium or a complicated general heterotrophic medium.

Although the culture could reduce perchlorate and nitrate simultaneously, the presence of nitrate reduced the perchlorate reduction rate by at most one-half the maximal rate. Brine generated by the ISEP^TM ion-exchange treatment process operated in LaPuente, California, was amended with acetate and magnesium or acetate alone and fed to two identical cultures operated as single batch reactors with daily 50 percent supernatant replacement for 1 month. The culture fed brine amended with acetate and magnesium removed perchlorate more consistently then the culture that was fed brine no amended with magnesium.

The parent cultures maintained for several years and fed perchlorate at 3 or 6 percent NaCl or perchlorate plus nitrate at 3 or 6 percent NaCl were analyzed by two sets of denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis, several most-probable-number and plate count analyses, as well as numerous Gram stains to determine the changes in the microbial populations in the cultures with time. The microbial diversity in the parent cultures is decreasing with time. None of the DGGE sequences from the parent cultures or the brine was identified even remotely related to any strain of pathogen or other organism that is known to have human health effects. None of the pure cultures obtained from plate count analysis are capable of degrading perchlorate in pure culture.

Future Activities:

Now that the microbial nutrient requirements have been determined, the future activities will focus on engineering and design of reactors (both aqueous and solid phase) for use in pilot and full scale.

Journal Articles on this Report : 1 Displayed | Download in RIS Format

Publications Views

Other subproject views:	All 4 publications	2 publications in selected types	All 1 journal articles
Other center views:	All 64 publications	19 publications in selected types	All 18 journal articles

Publications

Type	Citation	Sub Project	Document Sources
Journal Article	Cang Y, Roberts DJ, Clifford DA. Development of cultures capable of reducing perchlorate and nitrate in high salt solutions. Water Research 2004;38(14-15):3322-3330.	CR831276 (Final) R831276C017 (2004)	Abstract from PubMed Full-text: ScienceDirect - Full Text HTML Exit Abstract: ScienceDirect - Abstract Exit Other: ScienceDirect - Full Text PDF Exit

Supplemental Keywords:

waste, ecological risk assessment, environmental engineering, hazardous waste, advanced treatment technologies, bioremediation, contaminated waste sites, groundwater contamination, petroleum contaminants, hydrocarbon,, RFA, Scientific Discipline, Waste, Water, Environmental Chemistry, Remediation, Hazardous Waste, Environmental Monitoring, Ecology and Ecosystems, Ecological Risk Assessment, Hazardous, Environmental Engineering, Drinking Water, contaminated sediments, hazardous waste treatment, advanced treatment technologies, hazardous waste storage, perchlorate, contaminated soil, anaerobic biodegradation, zero valent iron, groundwater remediation, contaminated groundwater, hazardous wate, contaminant removal, drinking water contaminants, drinking water treatment, groundwater, contaminant candidate list

Relevant Websites:

http://dept.lamar.edu/gchsrc/ Exit

Progress and Final Reports:

Original Abstract

Final

Main Center Abstract and Reports:

CR831276    Texas - Indiana Virtual STAR Center

Subprojects under this Center: (EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
R831276C001 DNAPL Source Control by Reductive Dechlorination with Fe(II)
R831276C002 Arsenic Removal and Stabilization with Synthesized Pyrite
R831276C003 A Large-Scale Experimental Investigation of the Impact of Ethanol on Groundwater Contamination
R831276C004 Visible-Light-Responsive Titania Modified with Aerogel/Ferroelectric Optical Materials for VOC Oxidation
R831276C005 Development of a Microwave-Induced On-Site Regeneration Technology for Advancing the Control of Mercury and VOC Emissions Employing Activated Carbon
R831276C006 Pollution Prevention through Functionality Tracking and Property Integration
R831276C007 Compact Nephelometer System for On-Line Monitoring of Particulate Matter Emissions
R831276C008 Effect of Pitting Corrosion Promoters on the Treatment of Waters Contaminated with a Nitroaromatic Compounds Using Integrated Reductive/Oxidative Processes
R831276C009 Linear Polymer Chain and Bioengineered Chelators for Metals Remediation
R831276C010 Treatment of Perchlorate Contaminated Water Using a Combined Biotic/Abiotic Process
R831276C011 Rapid Determination of Microbial Pathways for Pollutant Degradation
R831276C012 Simulations of the Emission, Transport, Chemistry and Deposition of Atmospheric Mercury in the Upper Gulf Coast Region
R831276C013 Reduction of Environmental Impact and Improvement of Intrinsic Security in Unsteady-state
R831276C014 Integrated Chemical Complex and Cogeneration Analysis System: Greenhouse Gas Management and Pollution Prevention Solutions
R831276C015 Improved Combustion Catalysts for NOx Emission Reduction
R831276C016 A Large-Scale Experimental Investigation of the Impact of Ethanol on Groundwater Contamination
R831276C017 Minimization of Hazardous Ion-Exchange Brine Waste by Biological Treatment of Perchlorate and Nitrate to Allow Brine Recycle
R831276C018 Integrated Chemical Complex and Cogeneration Analysis System: Greenhouse Gas Management and Pollution Prevention Solutions