Publication Date
9-2011
Abstract
Perchlorate (ClO
4-) contaminated water is becoming a wide-spread problem as
more sites are being identified worldwide. Biological perchlorate reduction is a promising
alternative to conventional physical/chemical treatment processes and has the advantage
of reducing perchlorate to the benign products, chloride and oxygen. A number of
bacteria are capable of reducing perchlorate using a variety of electron donors including
organic carbon compounds, hydrogen, iron, and reduced sulfur compounds. Previous
studies in our laboratory successfully used a novel, sulfur oxidizing bacterial consortium
(SUPeRB) to reduce perchlorate in both batch culture and in packed bed reactors (PBR).