1,4-Dioxane, deemed a probable carcinogen by the US EPA, has historically been used as a stabilizer for chlorinated solvents. Due to its persistence in the environment, it has become a major ground and surface water pollutant at sites where it was extensively used, such as military bases. Cleanup standards for 1,4-dioxane have been issued by various state agencies, ranging from 1 µg/L in California, to 0.35 µg/L in Colorado, and to 0.25 µg/L in New Hampshire. Reaching these low cleanup goals through remediation has proven to be particularly difficult and costly. In prior studies, Pseudonocardia dioxanivorans CB1190 has been utilized as a pure culture bacterium to speed the rate of biodegradation of 1,4-dioxane via bioaugmentation. Also, it has been shown that phytoremediation, the use of plants to clean contaminated sites, can improve biodegradation in the rhizosphere and enhance the uptake and volatilization of 1,4-dioxane by plants. In this research, we report the degradation rates of 1,4-dioxane in simulated groundwater (hydroponic solutions) of CB1190 and other pure and mixed consortia of bacteria. In addition, unplanted systems and those planted with hybrid poplar (Populus deltoides x nigra, DN34) are investigated to determine the relative potential for bioaugmentation and/or phytoremediation to be effectively applied at various sites contaminated with 1,4-dioxane to reach state-issued cleanup standards.

Bioaugmentation and phytoremediation of 1,4-dioxane in simulated groundwater

255th National Meeting (2018)

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