Geo-Pollution Science, Medical Geology and Urban Geology
Vol.2

No.4

2006

ContentsReview
98

Bioremediation of subsurface contamination with volatile chloro-organic compounds (VCOCs) usingmethane-oxidizing bacteria-Trend in bioremediationMio TAKEUCHI, Kenji NANBA, Ken FURUYA, Osamu KAZAOKA, Takeshi YOSHIDA, and Takeshi KOMAI

Report110

Man-made strata and prediction of earthquake disasters in Niigata City, central Japan
Takao NAKAGAWA

News
122

Bioremediationofsubsurface
contaminationwithvolatilechloro-organic compounds (VCOCs) using methane-oxidizing bacteria-Trend in bioremediationMio TAKEUCHI1, Kenji NANBA2, Ken FURUYA3, Osamu KAZAOKA4, Takeshi YOSHIDA4, andTakeshi KOMAI1
1: Institute for Geo-Resources and Environment, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technolo gy （AIST）
16-1, Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8569 JAPAN
2: Department of Science and Engineering, Fukushima University 1, Kanayagawa, Fukushima 960 -1296 JAPAN
3: Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo 1 -1-1, Yaoyoi, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8657 JAPAN
4: Research Institute of Environmental Geology, Chiba 3 -5-1, Inagekaigan, Mihama-ku, Chiba 2261-0005 JAPANAbstractVolatile chloro-organic compounds (VCOCs) such as trichloroethylene, is a major subsurface contaminant allover the world. Various microorganisms including aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, have been reported todegrade VCOCs. Among them, methane-oxidizing bacteria (methanotroph), which utilize methane as the only
carbon and energy source, are one of the major players in bioremediation of VCOCs contamination because of asafety of their substrate, methane. Therefore, several bioremediation studies such as biostimulation andbioaugmentation using methanotrophs have been reported to date. Recently, a new style of bioremediation,priming bioaugmentation, was also suggested for remediation such that used methanotrophs naturally occurringin methane-rich ground water. In this article, we review various bioremediation studies using methanotrophs.

Keyword: Bioremediation, Methanotrophs, VCOCs, Biostimulation, Bioaugmentation, Priming bioaugmentation

Man-made strata and prediction of earthquake disasters in Niigata City,
central Japan
Takao NAKAGAWA
3-41, Sasaguchi, Niigata 950-0911, JapanAbstract
Man-made strata which consist of fillings, landfills, etc. are widely distributed in cities and theirvicinities of Japan, and have frequently suffered from earthquake disasters. In 1964, the Niigata Earthquake(M = 7.5) hit Niigata City, situated on low-lying Niigata Plain, and caused considerable damages such as
sinking and inclination of buildings, breakdown of bridges, inundation to lowland, and fire of plant forpetroleum refining. The damage of buildings and bridges resulted from liquefaction of the ground, and theareas were restricted in abandoned channel and reclaimed land. Taking landform classification, subsurface
geology, distribution of man-made strata and damage due to the Niigata Earthquake into consideration,
earthquake disasters such as liquefaction and inundation in the city are predicted, and the risk of disasters isexpressed with values. The risk established is presumably valid because a significant correlation between theamount of damage of 44 schools due to the Niigata Earthquake and the values of their sites is recognized.
Key word: Man-made strata, Niigata Earthquake of 1964, Liquefaction, Prediction of earthquake disasters, NiigataCity