Trichloroethene was degraded in expanded-bed bioreactors operated with
mixed-culture methanotrophic attached films. Biomass concentrations o
f 8 to 75 g volatile solids (VS) per liter static bed (L(sb)) were obs
erved. Batch TCE degradation rates at 35-degrees-C followed the Michae
lis-Menten model, and a maximum TCE degradation rate (q(max)) of 10.6
mg TCE/gVS . day and a half velocity coefficient (K(S) of 2.8 mg TCE/L
were predicted. Continuous-flow kinetics also followed the Michaelis-
Menten model, but other parameters may be limiting, such as dissolved
copper and dissolved methane-q(max) and K(S) were 2.9 mg TCE/gVS . day
and 1.5 mg TCE/L, respectively, at low copper concentrations (0.003 t
o 0.006 mg Cu/L). The maximum rates decreased substantially with small
increases in dissolved copper. Methane consumption during continuous-
flow operation varied from 23 to 1200 g CH4/g TCE degraded. Increasing
the influent dissolved methane concentration from 0.01 mg/L to 5.4 mg
/L reduced the TCE degradation rate by nearly an order of magnitude at
21-degrees-C. Exposure of biofilms to 1.4 mg/L tetrachloroethene (PCE
) at 35-degrees-C resulted in the loss of methane utilization ability.
Tests with methanotrophs grown on granular activated carbon indicated
that lower effluent TCE concentrations could be obtained. The low eff
iciencies of TCE removal and low degradation rates obtained at 35-degr
ees-C suggest that additional improvements will be necessary to make m
ethanotrophic TCE treatment attractive. (C) 1993 John Wiley & Sons, In
c.