A potential source remediation technique for an aquifer contaminated by bromate
has been investigated, utilising biological bromate reduction to bromide by
augmentation of indigenous microbial populations. This technique, involving
addition of a carbon source to contaminated groundwater, is analogous to the
methodology used in commercial denitrification systems. Experimental work is
aimed at development of an ex-situ pump-to-waste or pump, treat-and-reinject
strategy, but the technique may also have in-situ applications. Trials initially
focussed on a laboratory-scale anaerobic suspended growth chemostat system,
investigating glucose addition to real groundwater supplies. Following targeted
enrichment of the microbial population, reduction of 32 mgl-1 bromate within a
40 hour residence time was obtained with specific reduction rates of up to
160.48 µmol Br.g dry wt-1.hr-1, which suggested the presence of high-rate
bromate reducing bacterial strains. Use of a pilot-scale fixed-film upflow
bioreactor seeded with enriched chemostat biomass subsequently confirmed
stoichiometric bromate reduction to bromide with 87-90% bromate reduced from an
influent concentration of 1.08 mgL-1 over retention times of 40-80 hours.
Nitrate reduction of 97-99% from a 30.7 mgL-1 nitrate (as NO3-) influent also
occurred at retention times of 10-80 hours, although an increase in nitrite
production to 2.7 mgL-1 was observed with a 10 hour retention time. A period of
batch operation during the startup phase was shown to be critical to stable
operation, but backwashing was not required during the timescale of the
experimental run. Further process optimisation will be required, but this study
has demonstrated the potential of biological bromate reduction for remediation
of a bromate contaminated groundwater sourc
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