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Peer-reviewedCC BY-NC-ND 4.0Environmental Science & Technology

Prototyping Chain-Elongation-Mediated Dehalogenation for Groundwater Bioremediation

  • Caleb M. McLaughlin1,2,3
  • Aide Robles1,2,3,4
  • Maxwell I. Silverman1,2,3
  • Alex Gaura1,2
  • Nasser Hamdan2,3
  • Akash Caveney4
  • Min-Ying Jacob Chu4
  • Michael Calhoun4
  • Peter J. Bennett4
  • Anca G. Delgado1,2,3
4 affiliations
  1. 1Biodesign Swette Center for Environmental Biotechnology, Arizona State University, 1001 S McAllister Ave, Tempe, Arizona 85281, United States
  2. 2School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85281, United States
  3. 3Engineering Research Center for Bio-mediated and Bio-inspired Geotechnics (CBBG), Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85281, United States
  4. 4Haley & Aldrich Inc., Burlington, Massachusetts 01803, United States
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Abstract

Chlorinated ethenes are widespread groundwater contaminants. Microbial reductive dehalogenation can detoxify chlorinated ethenes but requires sustained H2 delivery to organohalide-respiring bacteria. In enrichment cultures, microbial chain elongation was shown to reliably provide H2 for dehalogenation from the conversion of ethanol and acetate to butyrate and caproate and subsequent fermentation of these carboxylates. Supported by robust laboratory testing, here, we document the first field-scale application of chain elongation-mediated dehalogenation in chlorinated ethene-contaminated groundwater. Native groundwater communities produced mainly propionate from ethanol and acetate in microcosms and the field, whereas bioaugmentation with a chain-elongating enrichment culture redirected microbial metabolism toward butyrate production and supported dehalogenation to ethene. Dehalogenation was favored at a lower organic carbon loading (900 mg C L–1 either as ethanol + acetate, butyrate, or caproate). Chain elongation was more strongly stimulated at higher ethanol to acetate molar ratios and organic carbon loadings (3500 mg C L–1). Bioaugmentation with chain-elongating bacteria in groundwater produced detectable butyrate concentrations, increased the molar ratio of ethene and ethane from 0.20 to 0.51 during monitoring, and did not stimulate methanogenesis. This study positions chain elongation-mediated dehalogenation as an effective strategy for groundwater bioremediation of chlorinated ethenes.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{mclaughlin2026prototyping,
  title = {{Prototyping Chain-Elongation-Mediated Dehalogenation for Groundwater Bioremediation}},
  author = {Caleb M. McLaughlin and Aide Robles and Maxwell I. Silverman and Alex Gaura and Nasser Hamdan and Akash Caveney and Min-Ying Jacob Chu and Michael Calhoun and Peter J. Bennett and Anca G. Delgado},
  journal = {Environmental Science \& Technology},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.1021/acs.est.6c06706},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.6c06706},
  note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Prototyping Chain-Elongation-Mediated Dehalogenation for Groundwater Bioremediation
AU  - Caleb M. McLaughlin
AU  - Aide Robles
AU  - Maxwell I. Silverman
AU  - Alex Gaura
AU  - Nasser Hamdan
AU  - Akash Caveney
AU  - Min-Ying Jacob Chu
AU  - Michael Calhoun
AU  - Peter J. Bennett
AU  - Anca G. Delgado
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/06
JO  - Environmental Science & Technology
DO  - 10.1021/acs.est.6c06706
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.6c06706
AB  - Chlorinated ethenes are widespread groundwater contaminants. Microbial reductive dehalogenation can detoxify chlorinated ethenes but requires sustained H2 delivery to organohalide-respiring bacteria. In enrichment cultures, microbial chain elongation was shown to reliably provide H2 for dehalogenation from the conversion of ethanol and acetate to butyrate and caproate and subsequent fermentation of these carboxylates. Supported by robust laboratory testing, here, we document the first field-scale application of chain elongation-mediated dehalogenation in chlorinated ethene-contaminated groundwater. Native groundwater communities produced mainly propionate from ethanol and acetate in microcosms and the field, whereas bioaugmentation with a chain-elongating enrichment culture redirected microbial metabolism toward butyrate production and supported dehalogenation to ethene. Dehalogenation was favored at a lower organic carbon loading (900 mg C L–1 either as ethanol + acetate, butyrate, or caproate). Chain elongation was more strongly stimulated at higher ethanol to acetate molar ratios and organic carbon loadings (3500 mg C L–1). Bioaugmentation with chain-elongating bacteria in groundwater produced detectable butyrate concentrations, increased the molar ratio of ethene and ethane from 0.20 to 0.51 during monitoring, and did not stimulate methanogenesis. This study positions chain elongation-mediated dehalogenation as an effective strategy for groundwater bioremediation of chlorinated ethenes.
SN  - 0013-936X
SN  - 1520-5851
ER  -