• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.1-8
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• 2007

A series of batch and column experiments were conducted for the development of biobarrier technology which can be applied to containment and reduction of contaminants in soil and ground waters. The growth kinetic constants of Pseudomonas fluorescens on glucose or molasses were determined using batch experiments. The maximum specific growth rate (Vmax) of P. fluorescens at $23^{\circ}C$ on glucose or molasses were $0.246\;hr^{-1}$ and $0.073\;hr^{-1}$, respectively. However, molasses was selected as carbon source due largely to the absence of lag phase of P. fluorescens growth on molasses and economic reason. In constant head column experiments, the hydraulic conductivity of the column soil reduced by $6.8{\times}10^{-3}$ times from $4.1{\times}10^{-2}cm/sec$ to $2.8{\times}10^{-4}cm/sec$ after the inoculation of P. fluorescens and administration of carbon source and nutrients. The biomass concentration was observed highest in the column inlet. Measurements of carbon source and electron accepter (dissolved oxygen) concentration showed that the growth of P. fluorescence, which is the main reason for hydraulic conductivity reduction, was limited not by the concentration of carbon source but by the concentration of electron acceptor.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.38 no.5 s.174
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• pp.525-534
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• 2005

Adsorption experiments for As(V) and As(III) onto the surfaces of aerobic Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which can be readily isolated from natural media, were conducted under nutrient-absent conditions. While a small amount of As(III) was adsorbed on the bacterial cell surfaces, As(V) was not effectively removed from the solution through adsorption. The result was likely due to the electrostatic repulsion between anionic compounds of aqueous As(V) and cell surfaces of f aeruginosa. However, the bacteria forming biofilm reduced a large amount of aqueous As(V) to As(III), which indicated that microorganisms in most oligotrophic, natural geologic settings can mediate the behavior of aqueous As. Biobarriers designed to remove the various heavy metals in contaminant plume may practically lead to the enhancement of toxicity and mobility of As.