One of the continuing risks to human health is the contamination of water resources. Over the past decade, 1,4-dioxane ("dioxane") has emerged as a significant pollutant, reportedly affecting up to 13% of U.S. drinking water sources. Dioxane is a Group B2 carcinogen, and various state, federal and international agencies have set notification and/or regulatory limits ranging from 1-70 μg/L. Dioxane has been used for decades in a range of countries, including the U.S., Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Historical applications of dioxane include: (1) a solvent stabilizer in paints, varnishes, and prints; (2) an ingredient in pesticides and fumigants, and (3) a solvent in resins, oils, adhesives, and waxes. The environmental impacts of dioxane are compounded by its physical and chemical properties. Specifically, dioxane remains recalcitrant for years, spreads rapidly through groundwater, and resists volatilization or adsoprtion onto sediments. The specific properties of dioxane have confounded remediation efforts, as many common technologies such as activated carbon, air stripping and activated sludge have not been effective. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) effectively degrade dioxane; however, AOPs can incur significant costs and have high energy use. This multi-year technology development project was based on a novel biocatalytic technology called MB-DX, where a combination of materials science and microbiology is leveraged to metabolically (biologically) degrade 1,4-dioxane. The MB-DX technology was first investigated at the bench-scale prior to an extensive scale-up effort encompassing both manufacturing and engineering processes. The field demonstration was conducted at a contaminated site in San Jose, California. The outcomes of this investigation illustrate both the scientific and collaborative aspects of the technology scale-up process, as well as the technical achievements required to ultimately provide a novel, cost-effective solution for 1,4-dioxane treatment.

Bioprocess development for 1,4-dioxane treatment: Bench through field investigation

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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