Kinetics and inhibition of reductive dechlorination of chlorinated ethylenes by two different mixed cultures

Kinetic studies with two different anaerobic mixed cultures (the PM and the EV cultures) were conducted to evaluate inhibition between chlorinated ethylenes. The more chlorinated ethylenes inhibited the reductive dechlorination of the less chlorinated ethylenes, while the less chlorinated ethylenes weakly inhibited the dechlorination of the more chlorinated ethylenes. Tetrachloroethylene (PCE) inhibited reductive trichloroethylene (TCE) dechlorination but not cis-dichloroethylene (c-DCE) dechlorination, while TCE strongly inhibited c-DCE and VC dechlorination. c-DCE also inhibited vinyl chloride (VC) transformation to ethylene (ETH). When a competitive inhibition model was applied, the inhibition constant (K(I)) for the more chlorinated ethylene was comparable to its respective Michaelis-Menten half-velocity coefficient, K(S). Model simulations using independently derived kinetic parameters matched the experimental results well. k(max) and K(S) values required for model simulations of anaerobic dechlorination reactions were obtained using a multiple equilibration method conducted in a single reactor. The method provided precise kinetic values for each step of the dechlorination process. The greatest difference in kinetic parameters was for the VC transformation step. VC was transformed more slowly by the PM culture (k(max) and K(S) values of 2.4+/-0.4 micromol/mg of protein/day and 602+/-7 microM, respectively) compared to the EV culture (8.1+/-0.9 micromol/mg of protein/day and 62.6+/-2.4 microM). Experimental results and model simulations both illustrate how low K(S) values corresponded to efficient reductive dechlorination for the more highly chlorinated ethylenes but caused strong inhibition of the transformation of the less chlorinated products. Thus, obtaining accurate K(S) values is important for modeling both transformation rates of parent compounds and their inhibition on daughter product transformation.