Honors College Thesis
 

Anaerobic Dechlorination of PCE to Ethene, Modeling, and Characterization of the Factors Affecting the Transformation Rates

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  • Tetrachlorethene (PCE) and trichloroethene (TCE) were common solvents used in the 1970’s that are now frequently observed groundwater contaminants. One method of remediating these contaminants is in-situ bioremediation that uses a dechlorinating microbial population. The microbial population performs the sequential reductive dechlorination of PCE and TCE to cis-1,2-dichloroethene (c-DCE), vinyl chloride (VC) and finally to the non-toxic compound ethene. For the in-situ bioremediation process to be feasible, kinetic parameters for different environmental conditions must be fully characterized. A model based on Monod kinetics with competitive inhibition between the chlorinated ethenes was applied to the experimental data to calculate kinetic parameters. PCE and TCE transformation data from cultures grown in chemostat reactors in the presence of excess and limited electron donors were modeled, as well as high and low initial PCE concentrations. Results show that the maximum rate of VC transformation with cells grown under limited electron donor conditions affected the maximum rates the most. Therefore, the ability to achieve a feasible and sustainable anaerobic bioremediation strategy for PCE and TCE transformation to ethene in the contaminated groundwater is to obtain a better understanding of the electron donors and acceptors in the environment.
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