Sulfolane biodegradation potential in aquifer sediments at sour natural gas plant sites

• Published in: Water research (Oxford) Vol. 32; no. 12; pp. 3680 - 3688
• Main Authors: Greene, E.Anne, Gieg, Lisa M., Coy, Debora L., Fedorak, Phillip M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.12.1998; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: aerobic biodegradation; Applied sciences; Biodegradation of pollutants; Biological and medical sciences; Biological and physicochemical phenomena; Biotechnology; diisopropanolamine; Environment and pollution; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; groundwater; Industrial applications and implications. Economical aspects; manganese-reduction; Natural water pollution; nitrate-reduction; Pollution; sulfolane; Water treatment and pollution; manganese-reduction; aerobic biodegradation; groundwater; sulfolane; diisopropanolamine; nitrate-reduction; Biodegradation; Aerobiosis; Sulfone; Selfpurification; Water pollution; Sediments; Ground water; Aquifers
• ISSN: 0043-1354; 1879-2448
• DOI: 10.1016/S0043-1354(98)00139-0

Sulfolane is used in the treatment of sour natural gas. It is a highly water soluble compound that has been introduced into soils and groundwaters at a number of sour gas processing plant sites. Aquifer sediments from contaminated locations at three sites in western Canada were assessed for microbial activity and their ability to degrade sulfolane under aerobic and five anaerobic (nitrate-, Mn(IV)-, Fe(III)-, sulfate- and CO 2-reducing) conditions. The microcosms were supplemented with 200 mg/L sulfolane and adequate supplies of N, P, and the appropriate terminal electron acceptor. Microcosms containing contaminated aquifer sediments from each of the three sites were able to degrade sulfolane aerobically at 8°C and 28°C, and the biodegradation followed zero-order kinetics. The lag times before the onset of sulfolane biodegradation were shorter when sulfolane-contaminated sediments were used as inocula than when uncontaminated soils were used. No anaerobic sulfolane biodegradation was observed at 28°C, nor was sulfolane biodegradation observed at 8°C under Fe(III)-, sulfate- and CO 2-reducing conditions. At 8°C, anaerobic degradation of sulfolane coupled to Mn(IV) reduction was observed in microcosms from two sites, and degradation coupled to nitrate reduction was seen in a microcosm from one of the contaminated sites.