Biodegradation of oxyanions such as perchlorate on ion exchange resins

Abstract

Improved systems and methods for removing the load of perchlorate and other oxyanions off of ion exchange resins through bioregeneration are disclosed. The improved systems and methods rely upon direct contact between the resin and a liquid product containing enrichment cultures of or pure strains of perchlorate-destroying microorganisms. Controlled temperatures also lead to improvements as do upflow conditions leading to bed expansion. These methods can be incorporated into methods for removing perchlorate from aqueous streams.

1 - 25 . (canceled) 
   
   
       26 . In a system for reducing the perchlorate load on a perchlorate-loaded anion exchange resin comprising
 a first reaction vessel containing a culture comprising a perchlorate-destroying microbial fluid product, an aqueous medium, nutrient for the microorganism strain, said first reaction zone maintained at anaerobic conditions promoting the growth of the perchlorate-destroying microorganisms,   a second reaction vessel containing perchlorate-loaded anion exchange resin,   means for recovering a perchlorate-destroying microbial fluid product from the culture in the first reaction zone,   means for feeding the recovered perchlorate-destroying microbial microorganism fluid product to the second reaction vessel zone and contacting said fluid product with the perchlorate-loaded anion exchange resin, said second reaction zone being at conditions under which the perchlorate-destroying microorganism fluid product comes into contact reacts with the perchlorate load present on the perchlorate-loaded anion exchange resin converting perchlorate to non perchlorate reaction products thereby producing a reduced perchlorate-load anion exchange resin and   means for recovering the reduced perchlorate load anion exchange resin from the second reaction vessel zone;   the improvement comprising one or more of
 i. employing a perchlorate-destroying microbial fluid product which is based upon an enrichment culture, a pure microbial culture or an enzymatic extract of an enrichment culture or of a pure culture wherein the culture comprises a material selected from the group consisting of 
   α, β, and γ subclasses of proteobacteria;     Dechloromonas agitata;      Dechloromonas SUIL;   Dechloromonas Miss;   Dechloromonas NM;   Dechloromonas JM;   Dechloromonas HZ;   Dechloromonas JDS5;     Dichlorosoma suillum;      Dichlorosoma PS.   Dichlorosoma SDGM,   Dichlorosoma KJ;   Dichlorosoma GR-1;   Dichlorosoma PDX;   Dichlorosoma perc lace;   Dichlorosoma DPA;   Dichlorosoma D8;   Dichlorosoma KJ;   Dichlorosoma KJ4;     Pseudomonas stenotrophomonas;      Vibrio dechloraticans Cuznesove B-1168;   Wohinella succinogenes HAP-1;   Ideonella dechloratans; and     Acinetobacter thermotoleranticus,    ii. conducting the contacting at controlled temperature in the range of from about 5° C. to about 30° C., and   iii. employing the resin in a bed in the second reaction zone and feeding the fluid product upflow through the bed of resin such as to provide expansion of the bed of resin.     
   
   
       27 . In a system for reducing the perchlorate content of a perchlorate-contaminated water comprising a
 a first reaction vessel zone containing a culture comprising a perchlorate-destroying microbial fluid product microorganism strain, an aqueous substrate, nutrient for the microbial culture bacterial strain, said second reaction zone vessel maintained at conditions promoting the growth of the perchlorate-destroying microorganisms strain,   means for recovering a perchlorate-destroying microorganism microbial fluid product from the culture in the first reaction vessel zone   a second reaction zone vessel containing an anion exchange resin having an affinity for perchlorate present in the perchlorate-contaminated water supply   means for feeding said perchlorate-contaminated water to said second reaction vessel zone into contact with the anion exchange resin under conditions permitting the resin to remove perchlorate from the perchlorate-contaminated water thereby forming a reduced perchlorate content product water and perchlorate-loaded anion exchange resin,   means for separating the reduced perchlorate content product water from the perchlorate-loaded anion exchange resin,   means for contacting the perchlorate-loaded anion exchange resin formed in the second reaction zone vessel with the perchlorate-destroying microorganism microbial fluid product recovered from the first reaction zone vessel said contacting being at conditions under which the perchlorate-destroying microorganism microbial fluid product reacts with the perchlorate-load present on the perchlorate-loaded anion exchange resin converting perchlorate to at least one of chloride, chlorate, hypochlorite and chlorite thereby producing a reduced perchlorate-load anion exchange resin and   means for recovering the reduced perchlorate load anion exchange resin;   the improvement comprising one or more of
 i. employing a perchlorate-destroying microbial fluid product which is based upon an enrichment culture, a pure microbial culture or an enzymatic extract of an enrichment culture or of a pure culture, wherein the culture comprises a material selected from the group consisting of 
   α, β, and γ subclasses of proteobacteria;     Dechloromonas agitata;      Dechloromonas SUIL;   Dechloromonas Miss;   Dechloromonas NM;   Dechloromonas JM;   Dechloromonas HZ;   Dechloromonas JDS5;     Dichlorosoma suillum;      Dichlorosoma PS;   Dichlorosoma SDGM;   Dichlorosoma KJ;   Dichlorosoma GR-1;   Dichlorosoma PDX;   Dichlorosoma perc lace;   Dichlorosoma DPA;   Dichlorosoma D8;   Dichlorosoma KJ;   Dichlorosoma KJ4;     Pseudomonas stenotrophomonas;      Vibrio dechloraticans Cuznesove B-1168;   Wohinella succinogenes HAP-1;   Ideonella dechloratans; and     Acinetobacter thermotoleranticus,    ii. conducting the contacting at controlled temperature in the range of from about 5° C. to about 30° C., and   iii. employing the resin in a bed and feeding the fluid product upflow through the bed of resin such as to provide expansion of the bed of resin.