Environmental Biotechnology for Waste Treatment

289 Pages·1991·7.744 MB·English

by  Gary S. Sayler, Robert Fox (auth.), Gary S. Sayler, Robert Fox, James W. Blackburn (eds.)

Environmental
Biotechnology for
Waste Treatment
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE RESEARCH
Series Editor:
Herbert S. Rosenkranz
Department of Environmental and Occupational Health
Graduate School of Public Health
University of Pittsburgh
J3 0 DeSoto Street
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Founding Editor:
Alexander Hollaender
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Volume 40-NITROARENES: Occurrence, Metabolism, and Biological Impact
Edited by Paul C. Howard, Stephen S. Hecht, and Frederick A. Beland
Volume 41-ENVIRONMENTAL BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR WASTE TREATMENT
Edited by Gary S. Sayler, Robert Fox, and James W. Blackburn
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Environmental
Biotechnology for
Waste Treatment
Edited by
Gary S. Sayler
Center for Environmental Biotechnology
Knoxville, Tennessee
Robert Fox
International Technology Corporation
Knoxville, Tennessee
and
James W. Blackburn
Center for Environmental Biotechnology
Knoxville, Tennessee
Plenum Press • New York and London
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Symposium on Environmental Biotechnology: Moving from the Flask to the Field
(1990: Knoxville, Tenn.)
Environmental biotechnology for waste treatment I edited by Gary S. Sayler,
Robert Fox, and James W. Blackburn.
p. cm. -(Environmental science research: v. 41)
"Proceedings of the Symposium on Environmental Biotechnology: Moving from
the Flask to the Field, held October 17-19, 1990, in Knoxville, Tennessee"-T.p.
verso.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
I. Environmental biotechnology-Congresses. I. Sayler, Gary S., 1949- . II.
Fox, Robert. III. Blackburn, James W. IV. Title. V. Series.
TDI92.5.S96 1990 91-10620
628-dc20 CIP
Proceedings of the symposium on Environmental Biotechnology:
Moving from the Flask to the Field, held October 17-19, 1990,
in Knoxville, Tennessee
ISBN-13: 978-1-4684-5957-9 e-ISBN-13: 978-1-4684-5955-5
DOl: 10.1007/978-1-4684-5955-5
© 1991 Plenum Press, New York
Softcover reprint of the hardcover I st edition 1991
A Division of Plenum Publishing Corporation
233 Spring Street, New York, N.Y. 10013
All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming,
recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the Publisher
Preface
The use of biotechnical processes in control of environmental pollution and in haz
ardous waste treatment is viewed as an advantageous alternative or adduct to phys
ical chemical treatment technologies. Yet, the development and implementation of
both conventional and advanced biotechnologies in predictable and efficacious field
applications suffer from numerous technical, regulatory, and societal uncertainties.
With the application of modern molecular biology and genetic engineering,
there is clear potential for biotechnical developments that will lead to breakthroughs
in controlled and optimized hazardous waste treatment for in situ and unit process
use. There is, however, great concern that the development of these technologies
may be needlessly hindered in their applications and that the fundamental research
base may not be able to sustain continued technology development.
Some of these issues have been discussed in a fragmented fashion within the
research and development community. A basic research agenda has been established
to promote a sustainable cross-disciplinary technology base. This agenda includes
developing new and improved strains for biodegradation, improving bioanalytical
methods to measure strain and biodegradation performance, and providing an in
tegrated environmental and reactor systems analysis approach for process control
and optimization.
There remains an identified need to promote cross-disciplinary communication
of technology development and application, and to identify choke points that im
pinge on the effective commercial application of the technology. For these reasons,
industrial, federal, and academic partners joined together to sponsor this current
dialogue on moving modern environmental biotechnology from the laboratory to
successful field application. Unlike other efforts to communicate the technology,
this symposium was planned to not only identify current practices and state-of-the
science, but also to identify perceptional and regulatory issues that affect credible
applications and evaluation of the technology. In this regard, we must acknowledge
the concerned foresight of the sponsors of the symposium, International Technol
ogy Corporation; the American Cyanamid Company; the U.S. Air Force, Office
of Scientific Research; the University of Tennessee, Waste Management Research
and Education Institute; support from the Oak Ridge Waste Management Associ
ation; the planning and steering committee and the symposium participants.
v
vi Preface
A goal of the symposium was to communicate a broad view of environmental
biotechnology ranging from conventional practices in biological waste treatment to
genetic engineering perspectives in in situ treatment technology. From the beginning
it was acknowledged that the biology was intimately linked to the environmental
application and the engineering design in implementing the technology. This major
scale-up consideration is the critical technical hurdle in moving the technology from
the lab to practical field use. In this scale up, there are major limitations in mon
itoring and controlling biotechnical processes, and these limitations further confound
societal and regulatory perception of the credibility of the technology.
The outcome of this symposium contributes to identifying applications of fun
damental research in emerging technology and to defining industrial research needs.
It is also anticipated that strategies will be forthcoming to overcome concerns of
the safety and efficacy of the technology. There appear to be numerous opportu
nities for environmental biotechnology to contribute to integrated waste manage
ment, but care must be taken to demonstrate reliable technology in order to
capitalize on these opportunities.
Gary S. Sayler
Contents
CURRENT PERCEPTIONS
Environmental Biotechnology: Perceptions, Reality, and Applications 1
Gary S. Sayler and Robert Fox
Media Images of Environmental Biotechnology: What Does the
Public See? ............................ . 15
Amy S. McCabe and Michael R. Fitzgerald
Perspectives on Bioremediation in the Gas Industry ......... 25
David G. Linz, Edward F. Neuhauser, and Andrew C. Middleton
Considerations in the Selection of Environmental Biotechnology as
Viable in Field-Scale Waste Treatment Applications ...... 37
Patricia Taylor Woodyard
The Technical, Economic, and Regulatory Future for Bioremediation:
An Industry Perspective ........................ 47
A. Keith Kaufman
Removing Impediments to the Use of Bioremediation and Other
Innovative Technologies ...................... 53
Walter W. Kovalick, Jr.
Bioremediation Research Issues 61
John H. Skinner
FIELD-SCALE CASE STUDIES
Evaluation of Bioremediation in a Coal-Coking Waste Lagoon 71
Maureen E. Leavitt, Duane A. Graves, and Craig A. Lang
vii
viii Contents
Evaluation Process for the Selection of Bioremediation Technologies
for Exxon Valdez Oil Spill .................... . 85
Edgar Berkey, Jessica M. Cogen, Val 1. Kelmeckis, Lawrence T.
McGeehan, and A. Thomas Merski
Full-Scale Bioremediation of Contaminated Soil and Water 91
Geoffrey C. Compeau, William D. Mahaffey, and Lori Patras
TECHNICAL ISSUES AND CONCERNS IN IMPLEMENTATION
Feasibility and Other Considerations for Use of Bioremediation in
Subsurface Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Karolyn L. Hardaway, Mark S. Katterjohn, Craig A. Lang, and
Maureen E. Leavitt
Integration of Biotechnology to Waste Minimization Programs 127
Godfred E. Tong
Bioremediation of Explosives Contaminated Soils (Scientific
Questions/Engineering Realities) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Craig A. Myler and Wayne Sisk
Practices, Potential, and Pitfalls in the Application of Biotechnology
to Environmental Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Carol D. Litchfield
What is the Km of Disappearase? 159
Ronald Unterman
Use of Treatability Studies in Developing Remediation Strategies for
Contaminated Soils .......................... 163
Michael J. McFarland, Ronald C. Sims, and James W. Blackburn
Biodegradation of Mixed Solvents by a Strain of Pseudomonas 175
1. C. Spain, C. A. Pettigrew, and B. E. Haigler
NONTECHNICAL ISSUES AND CONCERNS IN
IMPLEMENTATION
The Field Implementation of Bioremediation: An EPA Perspective 185
Fran V. Kremer and Walter W. Kovalick, Jr.
Contents ix
An Historical Perspective: Does Good Science or Good Press
Generate Demand? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
T. G. Zitrides
Ways to Identify and Obtain Rights to Technology from Federal
Facilities ............................. . 197
John C. Corey, Gerald J. Hooker, and Cindy K Tew
An Overview of Current Attitudes on the Use of Biotreatment for
Cleanup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
William J. Lacy
What Are the Critical Issues Necessary to Win the Confidence of
State Regulators? Views of a Project Manager on
Bioremediation Sites ........................ 211
Frank R. Peduto
Federal Regulations: How They Impact Research and
Commercialization of Biological Treatment 217
Sue Markland Day
INTERNATIONAL ACTMTIES
Polluted Heterogeneous Environments: Macro-scale Fluxes,
Micro-scale Mechanisms, and Molecular Scale Control 233
Geoffrey Hamer and Annin Heitzer
The Pilot Plant Testing of the Continuous Extraction of
Radionuclides Using Immobilized Biomass ..... 249
Marios Tsezos and Ronald G. L. McCready
Research and Development Programs for Biological Hazardous
Waste Treatment in the Netherlands ............. . 261
Esther Soczo and Klaas Visscher
SUMMARY
Environmental Biotechnology-From Flask to Field: A Review 271
Robert A. Goldstein, Al W Bourquin, Thomas W Federle,
C. P. Leslie Grady, and William D. Mahaffey
Contributors 279
Index .... 283