Abstract:

Tetrachlorothylene(PCE) is a toxic organic compound widely used and commonly detected in groundwater. Under anaerobic conditions, PCE is biodegradated through reductive dechlorination. According to non-aqueousphase biodegradation model, PCE was firstly adsorbed into anaerobic sludge, then desorbed and biodegradated. The adsorption of the PCE by anaerobic sludge and the anaerobic biodegradation of PCE were studied. The results of the experiment  indicated that the adsorption of PCE by anaerobic sludge reached equilibrium in half an hour, and desorption equilibrium appeared within one hour. The regression analysis indicated that both adsorption and desorption of PCE conformed to Freundlich equation. PCE was reductively dechlorinated to TCE and DCEs by the microbes in anaerobic sludge.

Key words: groundwater, tetrachlorothylene (PCE), biosorption, anaerobic degradation