• Evaluation of Natural Attenuation by Addition of Fumarate as Carbon Source and Gene Analysis in Groundwater Sample
  • Park, Sunhwa;Kim, Hyun-Gu;Kim, Sohyun;Lee, Min-Kyeong;Lee, Gyeong-Mi;Kim, Young;Kim, Moon-Su;Kim, Taeseung;
  • National Institute of Environmental Research;National Institute of Environmental Research;National Institute of Environmental Research;National Institute of Environmental Research;National Institute of Environmental Research;Department of Environmental Engineering, Korea University;National Institute of Environmental Research;National Institute of Environmental Research;
  • 지하수 중 탄소원으로 fumarate 주입과 유전자분석을 통한 질산성질소 자연저감도 평가
  • 박선화;김현구;김소현;이민경;이경미;김영;김문수;김태승;
  • 국립환경과학원;국립환경과학원;국립환경과학원;국립환경과학원;국립환경과학원;고려대학교 대학원 환경공학과;국립환경과학원;국립환경과학원;
Abstract
In the results of monitoring nitrate concentration in more than 8,000 groundwater wells around agro-livestock, the average and maximum nitrate concentration was 9.4 mg/L and 101.2 mg/L, respectively. Since about 31% of the monitoring wells was exceed the quality standard for drinking water, nitrate control such as remediation or source regulation is required to conserve safe-groundwater in South Korea. Typical nitrate-treatment technologies include ion exchange, reverse osmosis, and biological denitrification. Among the treatment methods, biological denitrification by indigenous microorganism has environmental and economic advantages for the complete elimination of nitrate because of lower operating costs compared to other methods. Major mechanism of the process is microbial reduction of nitrate to nitrite and nitrogen gas. Three functional genes (nosZ, nirK, nirS) that encode for the enzyme involved in the pathway. In this work, we tried to develop simple process to determine possibility of natural denitrification reaction by monitoring the functional gene. For the work, the functional genes in nitrate-contaminated groundwater were monitored by using PCR with specific target primers. In the result, functional genes (nosZ and nirK) encoding denitrification enzymes were detected in the groundwater samples. This method can help to determine the possibility of natural-nitrate degradation in target groundwater wells without multiplex experimental process. In addition, for field-remediation application we selected nitrate-contaminated site where 200~600 mg/L of nitrate is continuously detected. To determine the possibility of nitrate-degradation by stimulated-natural attenuation, groundwater was sampled in two different wells of the site and nitrate concentration of the samples was 300 mg/L and 616 mg/L, respectively. Fumarate for different C/N ratio was added into microcosm bottles containing the groundwater to examine denitrification rate depending on carbon concentration. In the result, once 1.5 times more than amount of fumarate stoichiometry required was added, the 616 mg/L of nitrate and 300 mg/L of nitrate were completely degraded in 8 days and 30 days. The nitrite, byproduct of denitrification process, was also completely degraded during the experimental period.

Keywords: Biological denitrification;Stimulated-natural attenuation;Fumarate;Functional genes (nosZ, nirK, nirS);

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This Article

  • 2014; 19(4): 62-69

    Published on Aug 31, 2014

  • 10.7857/JSGE.2014.19.4.062
  • Received on May 29, 2014
  • Revised on Aug 1, 2014
  • Accepted on Aug 13, 2014