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#           Microbial community response to a bioaugmentation test to degrade trichloroethylene in a fractured rock aquifer, Trenton, N.J      

      August 5, 2022    

Bioaugmentation is a promising strategy for enhancing trichloroethylene (TCE) degradation in fractured rock. However, slow or incomplete biodegradation can lead to stalling at degradation byproducts such as 1,2-dichloroethene (cis-DCE) and vinyl chloride (VC). Over the course of 7 years, we examined the response of groundwater microbial populations in a bioaugmentation test where an emulsified vegetable oil solution (EOS®) and a dechlorinating consortium (KB-1®), containing the established dechlorinator Dehalococcoides (DHC), were injected into a TCE-contaminated fractured rock aquifer. Indigenous microbial communities responded within 2 days to added substrate and outcompeted KB-1®, and over the years of monitoring, several other notable turnover events were observed. Concentrations of ethene, the end product in reductive dechlorination, had the strongest correlations (P< .05) with members of Candidatus Colwellbacteria but their involvement in reductive dechlorination is unknown and warrants further investigation.DHC never exceeded 0.6% relative abundance of groundwater microbial communities, despite its previously presumed importance at the site. Increased concentrations of carbon dioxide, acetic acid, and methane were positively correlated with increasing ethene concentrations; however, concentrations of cis-DCE and VC remained high by the end of the monitoring period suggesting preferential enrichment of indigenous partial dechlorinators over bioaugmented complete dechlorinators. This study highlights the importance of characterizing in situ microbial populations to understand how they can potentially enhance or inhibit augmented TCE degradation.

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link

June 16, 2020

####                 Contaminant Fate and Transport Studies in Fractured Sedimentary Rock Aquifers at the former Naval Air Warfare Center (NAWC), West Trenton, N.J.              

New Jersey Water Science Center, Pennsylvania Water Science Center

link

June 16, 2020

####   Contaminant Fate and Transport Studies in Fractured Sedimentary Rock Aquifers at the former Naval Air Warfare Center (NAWC), West Trenton, N.J.

Learn More

September 25, 2023

####                 Microbial community analyses of groundwater collected during an enhanced bioremediation experiment of trichlorethylene in a fractured rock aquifer, West Trenton, NJ (2008-2015)              

Water Resources Mission Area

#### Jennifer Underwood

##### Microbiologist

Water Resources Mission Area

jcunder@usgs.gov

303-541-3033

#### Denise M. Akob, Ph.D.

##### Research Microbiologist

Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center

dakob@usgs.gov

703-648-5819

#### Michelle Lorah

##### Research Hydrologist

Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Water Science Center

mmlorah@usgs.gov

443-498-5601

#### Thomas E Imbrigiotta

##### Scientist Emeritus

New Jersey Water Science Center

timbrig@usgs.gov

#### Ronald W Harvey

##### Research Hydrologist

Water Resources Mission Area

rwharvey@usgs.gov

303-541-3034

#### Claire R Tiedeman

##### Emeritus Hydrologist

Water Resources Mission Area

tiedeman@usgs.gov

650-439-2583

## Related Content

link

June 16, 2020

####                 Contaminant Fate and Transport Studies in Fractured Sedimentary Rock Aquifers at the former Naval Air Warfare Center (NAWC), West Trenton, N.J.              

New Jersey Water Science Center, Pennsylvania Water Science Center

link

June 16, 2020

####   Contaminant Fate and Transport Studies in Fractured Sedimentary Rock Aquifers at the former Naval Air Warfare Center (NAWC), West Trenton, N.J.

Learn More

September 25, 2023

####                 Microbial community analyses of groundwater collected during an enhanced bioremediation experiment of trichlorethylene in a fractured rock aquifer, West Trenton, NJ (2008-2015)              

Water Resources Mission Area

#### Jennifer Underwood

##### Microbiologist

Water Resources Mission Area

jcunder@usgs.gov

303-541-3033

#### Denise M. Akob, Ph.D.

##### Research Microbiologist

Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center

dakob@usgs.gov

703-648-5819

#### Michelle Lorah

##### Research Hydrologist

Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Water Science Center

mmlorah@usgs.gov

443-498-5601

#### Thomas E Imbrigiotta

##### Scientist Emeritus

New Jersey Water Science Center

timbrig@usgs.gov

#### Ronald W Harvey

##### Research Hydrologist

Water Resources Mission Area

rwharvey@usgs.gov

303-541-3034

#### Claire R Tiedeman

##### Emeritus Hydrologist

Water Resources Mission Area

tiedeman@usgs.gov

650-439-2583

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