Effects of Growth Substrates on Cometabolic Biodegradation of Trichloroethylene by Burkholderia cepacia G4

Abstract

The effects of growth substrates such as toluene and phenol on cometabolic biodegradation of trichloroethylene (TCE) by Burkholderia cepacia G4 were investigated. The dual effects of primary substrate on TCE biodegradation, stimulatory effects of toluene and phenol at low concentrations (0.5∼2 ppm & 0.1∼0.5 ppm, respectively) and a competitive inhibition at high concentration, were observed in batch experiments. These stimulatory effects of toluene and phenol were found to be due to the increments in the amount of reducing power like NADH which could be generated during the assimilation of toluene and phenol as the carbon and energy source. The efficiency of TCE biodegradation in trickling biofilm reactor (TBR) could be also enhanced up to the TCE removal efficiency of 58.1% by the supply of appropriate amounts of phenol (0.94∼4.7 ppm).