Booth Id:
ENEV074
Category:
Environmental Engineering
Year:
2018
Finalist Names:
Waldman, Lauren (School: American Heritage School)
Abstract:
The purpose of experimentation was to determine how the degradation of 1,4-dioxane by Pseudonocardia dioxanivorans (ATCCⓇ 55486) was affected by the presence of cis-DCE as it was degraded by Polaromonas sp. (ATCCⓇ BAA-500), and if Polaromonas sp. (ATCCⓇ BAA-500) could metabolize 1,4-dioxane. 1,4-dioxane is a heterocyclic ether that is a known carcinogen, and its breakdown is inhibited by the chlorinated solvent cis-dichloroethene (cis-DCE)
Gas chromatography was used to determine if BAA-500 was capable of breaking down 1,4-dioxane. Vials were bioaugmented with either BAA-500, 55486, or no bacteria at all as an abiotic control, and 1,4-dioxane was evaluated in such vials in 100, 75, 50, 25, and 10 u L volumes. To determine how the breakdown of cis-DCE affected the subsequent degradation of 1,4-dioxane, various 100, 75, 50, 25, and 10 uL combinations of the contaminants were evaluated with the presence of both BAA-500 and 55486.
When compared to a standard abiotic degradation curve, it was found that lower volumes of cis-DCE relative to 1,4-dioxane are more conducive to the breakdown of 1,4-dioxane. It was also determined that BAA-500 may have limited abilities to degrade 1,4-dioxane, thereby aiding in the degradation pathway in the presence of both compounds. This study has many applications in the field of contaminant hydrology.