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 - 1 d - 1 with suspended cells and 0.021 mg TCE mg protein - 1 d - 1 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 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.