Journal article
Cryogenic soil coring reveals coexistence of aerobic and anaerobic vinyl chloride degrading bacteria in a chlorinated ethene contaminated aquifer
Water research (Oxford), Vol.157, pp.281-291
06/15/2019
DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2019.03.059
PMID: 30959331
Abstract
Vinyl chloride (VC) is a common groundwater contaminant and known human carcinogen. Three major bacterial guilds are known to participate in VC biodegradation: aerobic etheneotrophs and methanotrophs, and anaerobic organohalide-respiring VC-dechlorinators. We investigated the spatial relationships between functional genes representing these three groups of bacteria (as determined by qPCR) with chlorinated ethene concentrations in a surficial aquifer at a contaminated site. We used cryogenic soil coring to collect high-resolution aquifer sediment samples and to preserve sample geochemistry and nucleic acids under field conditions. All samples appeared to be anaerobic (i.e., contained little to no dissolved oxygen). VC biodegradation associated functional genes from etheneotrophs (etnC and/or etnE), methanotrophs (mmoX and/or pmoA), and anaerobic VC-dechlorinators (bvcA and/or vcrA) coexisted in 48% of the samples. Transcripts of etnC/etnE and bvcA/vcrA were quantified in contemporaneous groundwater samples, indicating co-located gene expression. Functional genes from etheneotrophs and anaerobic VC-dechlorinators were correlated to VC concentrations in the lower surficial aquifer (p < 0.05). Methanotroph functional genes were not correlated to VC concentrations. Cryogenic soil coring proved to be a powerful tool for capturing high-spatial resolution trends in geochemical and nucleic acid data in aquifer sediments. We conclude that both aerobic etheneotrophs and anaerobic VC-dechlorinators may play a significant role in VC biodegradation in aquifers that have little dissolved oxygen.
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•Cryogenic coring is a powerful tool for capturing high resolution trends in biogeochemical data.•Geochemical and carbon stable isotope data indicated in situ chlorinated ethene degradation.•Aerobic and anaerobic vinyl chloride-degrading bacteria coexisted in 48% aquifer sediment samples.•Etheneotrophs and VC dechlorinators were correlated to VC concentrations in the lower surficial aquifer.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Cryogenic soil coring reveals coexistence of aerobic and anaerobic vinyl chloride degrading bacteria in a chlorinated ethene contaminated aquifer
- Creators
- Patrick M Richards - Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 4105 Seamans Center, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USAYi Liang - State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510640, ChinaRichard L Johnson - OHSU-PSU School of Public Health, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR, 97239, USATimothy E Mattes - Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 4105 Seamans Center, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Water research (Oxford), Vol.157, pp.281-291
- Publisher
- Elsevier Ltd
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.watres.2019.03.059
- PMID
- 30959331
- ISSN
- 0043-1354
- eISSN
- 1879-2448
- Grant note
- DOI: 10.13039/100014032, name: Environmental Security Technology Certification Program
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 06/15/2019
- Academic Unit
- Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Record Identifier
- 9984000919402771
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