Biodegradation rates for chlorinated solvents

Suarez MP, Rifai, HS (1999) Biodegradation rates for fuel hydrocarbons and chlorinated solvents in groundwater. Bioremed J 3 337-362... 

Suarez and Rifai (1999) analyzed data from 138 studies (field and laboratory) to estimate biodegradation coefficients for chlorinated compounds. Suarez and Rifai (1999) found a total of thirteen studies that reported Michaelis-Menten kinetics, 28 studies that reported zero-order rates, and 97 studies that reported first-order constants. The reader is referred to Cham-bon et al (2013) for a detailed description of the different kinetic models that have been proposed for chlorinated solvent biotransformations. 

In a recent study, Newell and Aziz (2004) studied the sustainability of biodegradation reactions at Type I chlorinated solvent sites. They presented a framework that classified Type I sites based on the relative amounts and depletion rates of electron donors and the chlorinated solvents (the electron acceptor in this case). Their study evaluated 13 chlorinated solvent sites and estimated the median and maximum mass discharge rates for dissolved oxygen, nitrate and sulfate flowing into chlorinated solvent plumes. These values were then converted to hydrogen equivalents and potential for lost perchlo-roethylene (PCE). 

PL=Plume length, ft PW=Plume width, ft PT=Plum thickness, ft TCS=Total chlorinated solvents, mg/L SV=Seep velocity, ft/yr F-OB=First-order biodegradation rate coefficient for solvents, day H-L=Half-life, years MFCRC=Method for calculating rate coefficient. 

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