Biofouling of Contaminated Ground-Water Recovery Wells: Characterization of Microorganisms

The taxonomy and physiology of microorganisms isolated from contaminated ground‐water recovery wells prone to biofouling are characterized for an industrial site in Rochester, New York. Principal aquifer contaminants include acetone, cyclohexane, dichloroethane, dichloromethane, 1,4–dioxane, isopropanol, methanol, and toluene. These contaminants represent a significant fraction (up to 95%) of the total organic carbon in the ground water. Ground‐water samples from 12 recovery wells were used to isolate, quantify, and identify aerobic and anaerobic bacterial populations. Samples from selected wells were also characterized geochemically to assess redox conditions and availability of essential and trace nutrients. Dominant bacteria, listed in order of descending numbers, including sulfate‐reducers (Desulfovibrio desulfuricans), anaerobic heterotrophs (Actinomyces, Bacteriodes, Bacillus, Agrobacterium), aerobic heterotrophs (Pseudomonas, Flavobacterium, Nocardia, Citrobacter), iron‐oxidizers (Gallionellaferruginea, Crenothrixpolyspora), iron‐reducers (Shewanella), and sulfur‐oxidizers (Thiobacillusferrooxi‐dans). Fungi were also recovered in low numbers. Both aerobic and anaerobic heterotrophs were able to utilize all principal contaminants as sole carbon and energy sources except 1,4–dioxane. The prevalence of heterotrophic bacteria and their ability to use the available anthropogenic carbon suggests that aerobic and anaerobic heterotrophs contribute to the biofouling of wells at this site, in addition to the often cited fouling due to iron‐oxidizing bacteria and sulfate‐reducing bacteria.