Enhancing the Performance of Anaerobic Bioreactors for The
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Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 8-29-2017 Enhancing the Performance of Anaerobic Bioreactors for the Biological Degradation of Volatiles Organic Compounds in Groundwater Using Alternate Electron Acceptors Leslie Michele Pipkin Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations Part of the Environmental Engineering Commons Recommended Citation Pipkin, Leslie Michele, "Enhancing the Performance of Anaerobic Bioreactors for the Biological Degradation of Volatiles Organic Compounds in Groundwater Using Alternate Electron Acceptors" (2017). LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 4106. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/4106 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized graduate school editor of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please [email protected]. ENHANCING THE PERFORMANCE OF ANAEROBIC BIOREACTORS FOR THE BIOLOGICAL DEGRADATION OF VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS IN GROUNDWATER USING ALTERNATE ELECTRON ACCEPTORS A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering by Leslie Michele Pipkin B.S., Florida State University, 2010 M.S., Florida State University, 2012 December 2017 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to recognize those who have encouraged, directed, and supported me during my studies at Louisiana State University leading to my doctoral degree and this dissertation. I am forever grateful for my major advisor Dr. John Pardue for providing me the opportunity to work on this research project and for his profound ideas, exceptional direction, beneficial recommendations, and inspiration throughout my graduate academic career at LSU. I would also like to thank the members of my advisory committee, Dr. William Moe, Dr. Clinton Willson, and Dr. John White for providing instrumental feedback, guidance and encouragement during my dissertation. I’m grateful for the funding provided for the study by the Louisiana Board of Regents Fellowship and The Governor’s Biotechnology Initiative. I would also like to thank Mr. Frederick Symmes of Weston Solutions Inc. for his assistance in granting me access and allowing sampling trips to take place at the Re-Solve, Inc. Superfund Site in Massachusetts. Many thanks to my fellow colleagues and associates at Louisiana State University who have provided assistance and support over the years: Dr. Vijai Elango, Dr. Christopher Akudo, Trent Key, Davis Lofton, Michael Cheatham, Yasmin Mohammad, Autumn Westrick, David Curtis, Mathew Rodrigue, Matt Decell, Barry Breaux, and Jacob Vigh. Lastly I would like to thank my family and close friends for their continued love and support during this endeavor. Specifically I would like to recognize my parents, Nancy and David, my brother Andrew, my cousin Sabrina Rodriguez, and my love Nicholas Smith, as well as my close friends Shannon Haltom, Brandon and Lanie White, and Payton Dupree for their constant encouragement. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................................ ii ABSTRACT .....................................................................................................................................v CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................1 1.1 General Introduction ......................................................................................................1 1.2 Purpose of Study ............................................................................................................2 1.3 Research Objectives .......................................................................................................3 1.4 Organization of Dissertation ..........................................................................................4 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW .........................................................................................6 2.1 A Brief History Into the Volatile Organic Compounds of Interest ................................6 2.2 Biodegradation of BTEX ...............................................................................................9 2.3 Biodegradation of Chlorinated Solvents ......................................................................15 2.4 Development of ABRs for Treatment of VOCs ..........................................................19 25 Enhancement of ABR Treatment Design and Approach .............................................24 CHAPTER 3: A SUSTAINABLE BIOREMEDIATION APPROACH FOR BTEX- CONTAMINATED GROUNDWATER UNDER METHANOGENIC AND SULFATE-REDUCING CONDITIONS ....................26 3.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................26 3.2 Materials and Methods .................................................................................................28 3.3 Results and Discussion ................................................................................................34 3.4 Design Implications .....................................................................................................63 CHAPTER 4: COMPLETE DEGRADATION OF CHLORINATED ETHANES IN SEQUENTIAL BIOREACTORS OPERATED UNDER VARYING REDOX CONDITIONS .......................................................64 4.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................64 4.2 Materials and Methods .................................................................................................66 4.3 Results and Discussion ................................................................................................75 4.4 Design Implications ...................................................................................................105 CHAPTER 5: ANALYSIS OF SYSTEM PERFORMANCE OF FULL-SCALE ANAEROBIC BIOREACTOR TREATMENT BEDS ........................................106 5.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................106 5.2 Materials and Methods ...............................................................................................111 5.3 Results and Discussion ..............................................................................................121 4.4 Design Implications ...................................................................................................159 CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ...............................................160 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................165 iii APPENDIX ..................................................................................................................................190 VITA ............................................................................................................................................225 iv ABSTRACT Engineered anaerobic bioreactors (ABR) constructed from mixed media and sand can biodegrade high concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Sustainable treatment of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX), chlorinated ethenes and ethanes were used to investigate the use of engineered ABRs, while also analyzing the system performance of a full-scale ABR system. Experimentations conducted on environmental and biological factors that affect ABR system performance was conducted through serum bottles, columns, and reactor studies. Column and reactor ABR systems were designed to treat VOCs via biodegradation in groundwater with varying terminal electron acceptors (TEAs). Laboratory-scale column ABRs were constructed to treat BTEX compounds while simultaneously adjusting the TEA processes in the bed between methanogenic and sulfate-reducing conditions. Analysis of the groundwater showed that amending the contaminated water with sulfate lead to higher percentages of degradation of BTEX. Experimentations showed that sizing of a full-scale ABR treatment bed would be controlled by benzene due to the lower removal efficiency and lower required discharge limits. A two-phase pilot-scale ABR system was operated through the use of sequential anaerobic/aerobic ABRs to reductively dechlorinate 1,1,1-trichloroethane (TCA) to chloroethane (CA), followed by aerobic oxidation of CA. Two duplicate reactors operated in parallel in an up- flow mode were prepared for aerobic treatment studies of CA. Pure oxygen was supplied through a porous silastic tube under pressure with a pure oxygen gas cylinder. Investigations concluded that complete mineralization of chloroethane was observed in the effluents from the aerobic zone of the ABR system. During both studies, TEA changes were confirmed by v using a 16S rRNA assessment of microbial populations within the ABR beds, which indicated a shift in bacteria and/or archaea to a more effectual degrading community structure. Two full-scale ABR beds were analyzed for system performance through