Perchlorate reduction kinetics and genome-resolved metagenomics identify metabolic interactions in acclimated saline lake perchlorate-reducing consortia.

Perchlorate is a widely detected environmental contaminant in surface and underground water, that seriously impacts human health by inhibiting the uptake of thyroidal radioiodine. Perchlorate reduction due to saline lake microorganisms is not as well understood as that in marine environments. In this study, we enriched a perchlorate-reducing microbial consortium collected from saline lake sediments and found that the perchlorate reduction kinetics of the enriched consortium fit the Michaelis-Menten kinetics well, with a maximum specific substrate reduction rate (qmax) of 0.596 ± 0.001 mg ClO4-/mg DW/h and half-saturation constant (Ks) of 16.549 ± 0.488 mg ClO4-/L. Furthermore, we used improved metagenome binning to reconstruct high-quality metagenome-assembled genomes from the metagenomes of the microbial consortia, including the perchlorate-reducing bacteria (PRB) Dechloromonas agitata and Wolinella succinogenes, with the genome of W. succinogenes harboring complete functional genes for perchlorate reduction being the first recovered. Given that the electrons were directly transferred to the electronic carrier cytochrome c-553 from the quinone pool, the electron transfer pathway of W. succinogenes was shorter and more efficient than the canonical pattern. This finding provides a theoretical basis for microbial remediation of sites contaminated by high concentrations of perchlorate. Metagenomic binning and metatranscriptomic analyses revealed the gene transcription variation of perchlorate reductase pcr and chlorite dismutase cld by PRB and the synergistic metabolic mechanism.

Biosynthesized silver nanoparticle-coated electro-membrane extraction of perchlorate in different seafood samples.

In this work we developed a rapid and straightforward technique in which biosynthesized silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) were coated on a porous membrane utilizing electrical potential to extract perchlorate from seafood samples. The biosynthesized Ag-NPs were well characterized using UV-Vis. spectrophotometry, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy. After extraction, analyses were performed using ion chromatography. The Ag-NP-coated porous polypropylene membrane shows higher extraction efficiency due to the high electrical conductivity of the Ag-NPs. The performance of this efficient technique was compared with those previously reported in the literature. The extraction variables that affect extraction of the target analyte and influence percentage recovery, such as pH of the sample solution, extraction time, and applied voltage, were investigated and optimized. The results demonstrated optimum conditions to achieve low detection limits [LODs (limits of detection)]: sample solution (pH = 6), short extraction time (10 min), and applied voltage (5 V). The developed method shows excellent linearity for perchlorate ion in the range from 0.001 to 350 µg L-1 with a coefficient of determination (r2 ) of 0.9991. The detection limit (LODs) and quantification limits (limits of quantification) were found to be 0.04 and 0.1225 µg kg-1 , respectively. The mean recovery percentages for three replicates of 10 different spiked fish samples by 3 µg g-1 of perchlorate were between 92.2 and 106.2%, with an observed relative standard deviation in the range of 0.8-3.7%. The proposed method is rapid, sensitive, inexpensive, environmentally friendly, and highly effective in extracting perchlorate from different seafood samples.

[Effect of Sulfur to Quartz Sand Ratios on the Removal of High-Concentration Perchlorate in Packed-Bed Reactors].

Three autotrophic packed-bed reactors, each with a different sulfur/quartz sand ratio(R1, 2:1; R2, 1:1; R3, 1:2,)were used to remove high-concentration perchlorate from contaminated water. The perchlorate removal efficiency, kinetics, and biofilm of the reactors were studied using different perchlorate concentrations and hydraulic retention times (HRTs). The perchlorate removal efficiency decreased with higher perchlorate concentration and shorter HRT, and the removal efficiency of R1 was higher than of R2 and R3. The maximum removal loading of R1 was 2.18 kg·(m3·d)-1at an HRT of 3.2 h and perchlorate concentration of 300 mg·L-1. The half-order kinetics model fit the reactors' experimental data well; the reaction rate constants of R1, R2, and R3 were 8.036, 6.596, and 4.212 mg1/2·(L1/2·h)-1. The yield of SO42- was greater than the stoichiometric yield of sulfur autotrophic reduction owing to sulfur disproportionation. The disproportionation was inhibited with a higher perchlorate concentration or shorter HRT. Moreover, disproportionation of R3 was the weakest because the SO42- yield of R3 was lower than of R1 and R2. The pH and alkalinity of the effluent increased with lower perchlorate concentration and shorter HRT. The development of biofilm in R2 and R3 was better than in R1. The secretion of extracellular polymeric substances can promote the formation of biofilm.

[Removal Characteristics of High Concentrations of Perchlorate Using a "Heterotrophic Sulfur Autotrophic" Combination Process].

The heterotrophic-autotrophic reactor including two chambers, that is, the lower part of the heterotrophic zone and the upper part of the autotrophic zone, was used to remove highly concentrated perchlorate (ClO4-) wastewater. The reduction characteristics of ClO4- and the effluent sulfur (SO42-) concentration were investigated using different influent ClO4- concentrations and C/Cl ratios. By adjusting the influent C/Cl ratio from 2 to 1, the reactor was started up successfully within 36 d. The microorganisms tolerated the high concentration of ClO4- (250-400 mg·L-1) and the ClO4- removal efficiency was higher than 95%. By adjusting the C/Cl ratio to 1.2, the ClO4- load in the autotrophic zone was reduced and the SO42- concentration in the effluent was controlled below 250 mg·L-1. The result show that tryptophan and tyrosine materials in soluble microbial products led to the TOC increase in the effluent of the autotrophic zone. The sludge yield was reduced because of heterotrophic and autotrophic processes. The alkalinity produced by the heterotrophic process was used as carbon source for the autotrophic process and to neutralize the acidity produced by the autotrophic process, representing the complementary function and avoiding the addition of alkalinity in the autotrophic process.

Collective Ion-Pair Single-Drop Microextraction Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopic Determination of Perchlorate in Bioenvironmental Samples.

Perchlorate (ClO4-) is an environmental pollutant that affects human health. Perchlorate acts as a competitive inhibitor of iodine uptake in the thyroid gland (sodium-iodide symporter inhibitor); thus, its determination is important for public health concerns. Water and milk constitute a significant portion of the human diet. Because regular intake leads to an increase in perchlorate concentration in the human body, the estimation of perchlorate is of great concern. In this work, ion-pair single-drop microextraction (SDME) combined with attenuated total reflectance (ATR)-FTIR spectroscopy has been developed for the determination of perchlorate in bioenvironmental (soil, water, dairy milk, breast milk, and urine) samples. Perchlorate was extracted in a single drop of methyl isobutyl ketone as an - with the cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonuim bromide under optimized conditions. The strongest IR peak (at 1076 cm-1) was selected for the quantification of perchlorate among three observed vibrational peaks. Eight calibration curves for different concentration ranges of perchlorate were prepared, and excellent linearity was observed for absorbance and peak area in the range of 0.03-100 ng/mL perchlorate, with r values of 0.977 and 0.976, respectively. The RSDs (n = 8) for the perchlorate concentration ranges of 0.03-100, 0.03-0.5, 0.5-10, and 10-100 ng/mL were in the range of 1.9-2.7% for the above calibration curves. The LOD and LOQ in the present work were 0.003 and 0.02 ng/mL, respectively. The extracted microdrop was analyzed directly by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. The parameters affecting SDME, i.e, effect of pH, stirring rate, reagent concentration, microdrop volume, and extraction time, were optimized, and the role of foreign species was also investigated. F- and t-tests were performed to check the analytical QA of the method. A noteworthy feature of the reported method is the noninterference of any of the associated ions. The results were compared with those of the ion chromatography MS method, and a high degree of acceptability was found. The method was successfully applied for the determination of perchlorate in bioenvironmental samples.

We are what we eat: Regulatory gaps in the United States that put our health at risk.

The American diet has changed dramatically since 1958, when Congress gave the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the authority to ensure the safety of chemicals in food. Since then, thousands of chemicals have entered the food system. Yet their long-term, chronic effects have been woefully understudied, their health risks inadequately assessed. The FDA has been sluggish in considering scientific knowledge about the impact of exposures-particularly at low levels and during susceptible developmental stages. The agency's failure to adequately account for the risks of perchlorate-a well-characterized endocrine-disrupting chemical-to vulnerable populations is representative of systemic problems plaguing the regulation of chemicals in food. Today, we are faced with a regulatory system that, weakened by decades of limited resources, has fallen short of fully enforcing its mandates. The FDA's inability to effectively manage the safety of hundreds of chemicals is putting our children's health at risk.

A Multiple Reaction Modelling Framework for Microbial Electrochemical Technologies.

A mathematical model for the theoretical evaluation of microbial electrochemical technologies (METs) is presented that incorporates a detailed physico-chemical framework, includes multiple reactions (both at the electrodes and in the bulk phase) and involves a variety of microbial functional groups. The model is applied to two theoretical case studies: (i) A microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) for continuous anodic volatile fatty acids (VFA) oxidation and cathodic VFA reduction to alcohols, for which the theoretical system response to changes in applied voltage and VFA feed ratio (anode-to-cathode) as well as membrane type are investigated. This case involves multiple parallel electrode reactions in both anode and cathode compartments; (ii) A microbial fuel cell (MFC) for cathodic perchlorate reduction, in which the theoretical impact of feed flow rates and concentrations on the overall system performance are investigated. This case involves multiple electrode reactions in series in the cathode compartment. The model structure captures interactions between important system variables based on first principles and provides a platform for the dynamic description of METs involving electrode reactions both in parallel and in series and in both MFC and MEC configurations. Such a theoretical modelling approach, largely based on first principles, appears promising in the development and testing of MET control and optimization strategies.

Metal composition of layered double hydroxides (LDHs) regulating ClO(-)4 adsorption to calcined LDHs via the memory effect and hydrogen bonding.

A series of calcined carbonate layered double hydroxides (CLDHs) with various metal compositions and different M(2+)/M(3+) ratios were prepared as adsorbents for perchlorate. Adsorption isotherms fit Langmuir model well, and the adsorption amount followed the order of MgAl-CLDHs ≥ MgFe-CLDHs >> ZnAl-CLDHs. The isotherms of MgAl-CLDHs and MgFe-CLDHs displayed a two-step shape at low and high concentration ranges and increased with an increase in the M(2+)/M(3+) ratio from 2 to 4. The two-step isotherm was not observed for ZnAl-CLDHs, and the adsorption was minimally affected by the M(2+)/M(3+) ratio. The LDHs, CLDHs and the reconstructed samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, SEM, FT-IR and Raman spectra to delineate the analysis of perchlorate adsorption mechanisms. The perchlorate adsorption of MgAl-CLDHs and MgFe-CLDHs was dominated by the structural memory effect and the hydrogen bonds between the free hydroxyl groups on the reconstructed-LDHs and the oxygen atoms of the perchlorates. For ZnAl-CLDHs, the perchlorate adsorption was controlled by the structural memory effect only, as the hydroxyl groups on the hydroxide layers preferred to form strong hydrogen bonds with carbonate over perchlorate, which locked the intercalated perchlorate into a more confined nano-interlayer. Several distinct binding mechanisms of perchlorate by CLDHs with unique M(2+) ions were proposed.

Removal of perchlorate from aqueous solution by cross-linked Fe(III)-chitosan complex.

Cross-linked Fe(III)-chitosan composite (Fe-CB) was used as the adsorbent for removing perchlorate from the aqueous solution. The adsorption experiments were carried out by varying contact time, initial concentrations, temperatures, pH, and the presence of co-existing anions. The morphology of the adsorbent was discussed using FT-IR and SEM with X-EDS analysis. The pH ranging from 3.0-10.2 exhibited very little effect on the adsorption capability. The perchlorate uptake onto Fe-CB obeyed Langmuir isotherm model. The adsorption process was rapid and the kinetics data obeyed the pseudo second-order model well. The eluent of 2.5% (W/V) NaCl could regenerate the exhausted adsorbent efficiently. The adsorption mechanism was also discussed.

Spatial distribution of perchlorate, iodide and thiocyanate in the aquatic environment of Tianjin, China: environmental source analysis.

Although China is the largest producer of fireworks (perchlorate-containing products) in the world, the pathways through which perchlorate enters the environment have not been characterized completely in this country. In this study, perchlorate, iodide and thiocyanate were measured in 101 water samples, including waste water, surface water, sea water and paired samples of rain water and surface runoff collected in Tianjin, China. The concentrations of the target anions were generally on the order of rain>surface water≈waste water treatment plant (WWTP) influent>WWTP effluent. High concentrations of perchlorate, iodide and thiocyanate were detected in rain samples, ranging from 0.35 to 27.3 (median: 4.05), 0.51 to 8.33 (2.92), and 1.31 to 107 (5.62) ngmL(-)(1), respectively. Furthermore, the concentrations of the target anions in rain samples were significantly (r=0.596-0.750, p<0.01) positively correlated with the concentrations obtained in the paired surface runoff samples. The anions tested showed a clear spatial distribution, and higher concentrations were observed in the upper reaches of rivers, sea waters near the coast, and rain-surface runoff pairs sampled in urban areas. Our results revealed that precipitation may act as an important source of perchlorate, iodide and thiocyanate in surface water. Moreover, iodide concentrations in the Haihe River and Dagu Drainage Canal showed a good correlation with an ideal marker (acesulfame) of domestic waste water, indicating that input from domestic waste water was an important source of iodide in the surface waters of Tianjin.

In situ vadose zone bioremediation.

Contamination of the vadose zone with various pollutants is a world-wide problem, and often technical or economic constraints impose remediation without excavation. In situ bioremediation in the vadose zone by bioventing has become a standard remediation technology for light spilled petroleum products. In this review, focus is given on new in situ bioremediation strategies in the vadose zone targeting a variety of other pollutants such as perchlorate, nitrate, uranium, chromium, halogenated solvents, explosives and pesticides. The techniques for biostimulation of either oxidative or reductive degradation pathways are presented, and biotransformations to immobile pollutants are discussed in cases of non-degradable pollutants. Furthermore, research on natural attenuation in the vadose zone is presented.

Removal of multiple electron acceptors by pilot-scale, two-stage membrane biofilm reactors.

We studied the performance of a pilot-scale membrane biofilm reactor (MBfR) treating groundwater containing four electron acceptors: nitrate (NO3(-)), perchlorate (ClO4(-)), sulfate (SO4(2-)), and oxygen (O2). The treatment goal was to remove ClO4(-) from ∼200 µg/L to less than 6 µg/L. The pilot system was operated as two MBfRs in series, and the positions of the lead and lag MBfRs were switched regularly. The lead MBfR removed at least 99% of the O2 and 63-88% of NO3(-), depending on loading conditions. The lag MBfR was where most of the ClO4(-) reduction occurred, and the effluent ClO4(-) concentration was driven to as low as 4 µg/L, with most concentrations ≤10 µg/L. However, SO4(2-) reduction occurred in the lag MBfR when its NO3(-) + O2 flux was smaller than ∼0.18 g H2/m(2)-d, and this was accompanied by a lower ClO4(-) flux. We were able to suppress SO4(2-) reduction by lowering the H2 pressure and increasing the NO3(-) + O2 flux. We also monitored the microbial community using the quantitative polymerase chain reaction targeting characteristic reductase genes. Due to regular position switching, the lead and lag MBfRs had similar microbial communities. Denitrifying bacteria dominated the biofilm when the NO3(-) + O2 fluxes were highest, but sulfate-reducing bacteria became more important when SO4(2-) reduction was enhanced in the lag MBfR due to low NO3(-) + O2 flux. The practical two-stage strategy to achieve complete ClO4(-) and NO3(-) reduction while suppressing SO4(2-) reduction involved controlling the NO3(-) + O2 surface loading between 0.18 and 0.34 g H2/m(2)-d and using a low H2 pressure in the lag MBfR.

A review of the removal of anions and oxyanions of the halogen elements from aqueous solution by layered double hydroxides.

The application of layered double hydroxides (LDHs) and thermally activated LDHs for the removal of various fluorine (F(-),BF4(-)), chlorine (Cl(-),ClO4(-)), bromine (Br(-),BrO3(-)) and iodine (I(-),IO3(-)) species from aqueous solutions has been reviewed in this article. LDHs and thermally activated LDHs were able to significantly reduce the concentration of selected anions in laboratory scale experiments. The M(2+):M(3+) cation ratio of the LDH adsorbent was an important factor which influenced anion uptake. Though LDHs were able to remove some target anion species through anion exchange and surface adsorption thermal activation and reformation generally produced better results. The presence of competing anions including carbonate, phosphate and sulphate had a significant impact on uptake of the target anion as LDHs typically exhibit lower affinity towards monovalent anions compared to anions with multiple charges. The removal of fluoride and perchlorate from aqueous solution by a continuous flow system utilising fixed bed columns packed with LDH adsorbents has also been investigated. The adsorption capacity of the columns at breakpoint was heavily dependent on the flow rate and lower than result reported for the corresponding batch methods. There is still considerable scope for future research on numerous topics summarised in this article.

Ion exchange membrane bioreactor for treating groundwater contaminated with high perchlorate concentrations.

Perchlorate contamination of groundwater is a worldwide concern. The most cost efficient treatment for high concentrations is biological treatment. In order to improve and increase the acceptance of this treatment, there is a need to reduce the contact between micro organisms in the treatment unit and the final effluent. An ion exchange membrane bioreactor (IEMB), in which treated water is separated from the bioreactor, was suggested for this purpose. In this study, the IEMB's performance was studied at a concentration as high as 250mgL(-1) that were never studied before. In the bioreactor, glycerol was used as a low cost and nontoxic carbon and energy source for the reduction of perchlorate to chloride. We found that high perchlorate concentrations in the feed rendered the anion exchange membrane significantly less permeable to perchlorate. However, the presence of bacteria in the bio-compartment significantly increased the flux through the membrane by more than 25% in comparison to pure Donnan dialysis. In addition, the results suggested minimal secondary contamination (<3mgCL(-1)) of the treated water with the optimum feed of carbon substrate. Our results show that IEMB can efficiently treat groundwater contaminated with perchlorate as high as 250mgL(-1).

[Perchlorate removal from underground water by anaerobic biological reduction with bark].

Batch experiments were conducted to check the feasibility of perchlorate removal from underground water with bark as a carbon source and reaction media, the effect of bark dosage, temperature and initial perchlorate concentrations on perchlorate reduction were also investigated. The results indicated that compared to corn cob, sweet potato and potato, bark in combination with perchlorate reducing microorganisms (PRMs) can efficiently achieve perchlorate removal from underground water, the concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) which was available to PRMs was the limiting factor that affected the perchlorate removal efficiency. Degradation of 10 mg perchlorate needed to consume 35-40 mg DOC when using bark as the solid carbon source. The removal rate of perchlorate was increased by about 3 fold when the bark dosage was increased from 1:500 to 3:500; however, further increase of solid-liquid ratio (over 5:500) provided no further benefit to the perchlorate reduction rate. The rate constant reached 1.365 mg x (L x d)(-1) at (38 +/- 1) degrees C which was the highest in the batch experiments. The activation energy was 31.08 kJ x mol(-1). Anaerobic biological reduction supported by bark had a good impact on the water quality; the high perchlorate concentration did not cause substrate inhibition.

Direct enrichment of perchlorate-reducing microbial community for efficient electroactive perchlorate reduction in biocathodes.

Biological reduction of perchlorate (ClO4⁻) has emerged as a promising solution for the removal of perchlorate in contaminated water and soils. In this work, we demonstrate a simple process to enrich perchlorate-reducing microbial communities separately using acetate as electron donor and the municipal aerobic membrane bioreactor sludge as inoculum. Inoculation of cathodes in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) with these enrichments, and further electrochemical enrichment at constant resistance operation of the MFCs, led to perchlorate-reducing biocathodes with peak reduction rates of 0.095 mM/day (2 mg/m²/day). Analysis of the microbial diversity of perchlorate-reducing biocathodes using PCR-DGGE revealed unique community profiles when compared to the denitrifying biocathode communities. More importantly, the total time taken for enrichment of the electroactive communities was reduced from several months reported previously in literature to less than a month in this work.

Biodegradation of perchlorate from real and synthetic effluent by Proteobacterium ARJR SMBS in a stirred tank bioreactor system.

The present work is a laboratory-scale study of perchlorate degradation using Proteobacterium ARJR SMBS in a stirred tank bioreactor (STBR). Anaerobically grown cultures of ARJR SMBS exposed to a variety of ClO4(-) levels within the range 30 to 150 mg L(-1) under anoxic conditions have been studied. The chloride released was measured and the average value found to be 43.55 mg L(-1). The average daily value of perchlorate degradation rate in this system was 17.24 mg L(-1) at optimum pH 7.5 and 0.25% NaCl salinity. The mixed liquor suspension solids of the system gradually increased from 0.025-0.156 g L(-1) during the operating period of 55 days. Mass balance indicated that the chloride produced was 0.45 mole per mole of perchlorate. The salinity of the system varied from 2.50-18.46 g L(-1), dependent primarily upon the inlet perchlorate concentration. The degradation mechanism, which obeyed a first-order substrate-utilizing kinetic model, allowed the growth rates and the half-saturation constants to be determined. The maximum observed anoxic growth rates (0.83-1.2 h(-1)) for ARJR SMBS in a synthetic effluent (SE) were considerably higher than in real effluent (RE) (0.45-0.59 h(-1)). The biomass yield of ARJR SMBS in STBR was higher in SE (1 +/- 0.4 mg L(-1)) than in RE (1 +/- 0.1 mg L(-1)). From the experimental findings, the uptake of perchlorate by the bacterium is suggested to be a non-interfacially-based mechanism. Under steady state operating condition the performance of the reactor was comparatively lower for RE than for SE but still offers significant control over the degradation of perchlorate under full-scale conditions.

Seasonal variation and factors influencing perchlorate in water, snow, soil and corns in Northeastern China.

Seasonal variation and influencing factors of perchlorate in snow, surface soil, rain, surface water, groundwater and corn were studied. Seven hundreds and seventy samples were collected in different periods in Harbin and its vicinity, China. Perchlorate concentrations were analyzed by ion chromatography-electrospray mass spectrometry. Results indicate that fireworks and firecrackers display from the Spring Festival to the Lantern Festival (February 2, 2011-February 17, 2011) can result in the occurrence of perchlorate in surface soil and snow. Perchlorate distribution is affected by wind direction in winter. Melting snow which contained perchlorate can dissolve perchlorate in surface soil, and then perchlorate can percolate into groundwater so that perchlorate concentrations in groundwater increased in spring. Perchlorate concentrations in groundwater and surface water decrease after rainy season in summer. Groundwater samples collected in the floodplain areas of the Songhua River and the Ashi River contained higher perchlorate concentrations than that far away with the rivers. The corns have the ability to accumulate perchlorate.

Using a two-stage hydrogen-based membrane biofilm reactor (MBfR) to achieve complete perchlorate reduction in the presence of nitrate and sulfate.

We evaluated a strategy for achieving complete reduction of perchlorate (ClO(4)(-)) in the presence of much higher concentrations of sulfate (SO(4)(2-)) and nitrate (NO(3)(-)) in a hydrogen-based membrane biofilm reactor (MBfR). Full ClO(4)(-) reduction was achieved by using a two-stage MBfR with controlled NO(3)(-) surface loadings to each stage. With an equivalent NO(3)(-) surface loading larger than 0.65 ± 0.04 g N/m(2)-day, the lead MBfR removed about 87 ± 4% of NO(3)(-) and 30 ± 8% of ClO(4)(-). This decreased the equivalent surface loading of NO(3)(-) to 0.34 ± 0.04-0.53 ± 0.03 g N/m(2)-day for the lag MBfR, in which ClO(4)(-) was reduced to nondetectable. SO(4)(2-) reduction was eliminated without compromising full ClO(4)(-) reduction using a higher flow rate that gave an equivalent NO(3)(-) surface loading of 0.94 ± 0.05 g N/m(2)-day in the lead MBfR and 0.53 ± 0.03 g N/m(2)-day in the lag MBfR. Results from qPCR and pyrosequencing showed that the lead and lag MBfRs had distinctly different microbial communities when SO(4)(2-) reduction took place. Denitrifying bacteria (DB), quantified using the nirS and nirK genes, dominated the biofilm in the lead MBfR, but perchlorate-reducing bacteria (PRB), quantified using the pcrA gene, became more important in the lag MBfR. The facultative anaerobic bacteria Dechloromonas, Rubrivivax, and Enterobacter were dominant genera in the lead MBfR, where their main function was to reduce NO(3)(-). With a small NO(3)(-) surface loading and full ClO(4)(-) reduction, the dominant genera shifted to ClO(4)(-)-reducing bacteria Sphaerotilus, Rhodocyclaceae, and Rhodobacter in the lag MBfR.

Maximizing microbial perchlorate degradation using a genetic algorithm: consortia optimization.

Microorganisms in consortia perform many tasks more effectively than individual organisms and in addition grow more rapidly and in greater abundance. In this work, experimental datasets were assembled consisting of all possible selected combinations of perchlorate reducing strains of microorganisms and their perchlorate degradation rates were evaluated. A genetic algorithm (GA) methodology was successfully applied to define sets of microbial strains to achieve maximum rates of perchlorate degradation. Over the course of twenty generations of optimization using a GA, we saw a statistically significant 2.06 and 4.08-fold increase in average perchlorate degradation rates by consortia constructed using solely the perchlorate reducing bacteria (PRB) and by consortia consisting of PRB and accompanying organisms that did not degrade perchlorate, respectively. The comparison of kinetic rates constant in two types of microbial consortia additionally showed marked increases.