Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Biological Denitrification of Groundwater

  • Chapter
Book cover Environmental Challenges

Abstract

Nitrate concentrations in groundwater have increased in many areas of the world. This causes serious concerns because of the link found between nitrate and the blue-baby syndrome, and of the possible formation of carcinogenic compounds in the digestive tract. Biological denitrification, bacteria-mediated reduction of nitrate to nitrogen gas, is a method used in the treatment of nitrate contaminated groundwater. The denitrifying microorganisms require carbon and energy substrates which may be organic or inorganic compounds. Treatment can take place in the aquifer (in situ treatment) or in above ground reactors. Numerous biological denitrification processes have been reported; this paper reviews some of this work and studies in progress in the author’s laboratory. The choice of a biological denitrification system has to be considered on an individual basis. Although preventive measures are curbing the problem in some developed countries, nitrate pollution is still on the rise in many other countries. Innovative, low-cost biological denitrification processes are specially needed in developing countries.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Batchelor, B. and Lawrence, A. W.: 1978, J. Water Pollut. Control Fed. 50, 1986–2001.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Blecon, G., Martin, G. and Cormier, M.:1985, Proc. Conf. Nitrates in Water, Paris, October 1985.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bocle, R., Rohmann, U. and Wertz, A.: 1986, Aqua 5, 286–287.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boussaid, F., Martin, G., Morvan, J., Collin, J. J., Landreau, A. and Talbo, H.: 1988, Environ. Technol. Lett. 9, 803–816.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Braester, C. and Martineil, R.: 1988, Water Sci. Technol. 20, 149–163.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dahab, F. M.: 1987, J. Environ. Syst. 17, 65–74.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dahab, F. M. and Sirigina, S.: 1994, Water Sci. Technol. 30, 133–139.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dahab, F. M. and Woodbury, W. L.: 1998, Proceedings of the AWWA Inorganic Contaminants Workshop, San Antonio, TX, USA, 22–24 February, 1998.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dries, D., Hessens, J., Verstrate, W., Stevens, P., de Vos, P. and Ley, J.: 1988, Water Supply 6, 181–192.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Driscoll, C. T. and Bisogni, J. J.: 1978, J. Water Pollut. Control Fed. 50, 569–577.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • European Comunity: 1980, Off. J. Eur. Commun. 23, L 229, 11–29.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gamble, T. N., Betlach, M. R. and Tiedje, J. M.: 1977, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 33, 926–939.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Green, M., Tarre, S., Schnizer, M., Bogdan, B., Armon, R. and Shelef, G.: 1994, Water Res. 28, 631–637.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gros, H. and Treutier, K.: 1986, Aqua 5, 288–290.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gros, H., Schnoor, G. and Rutten, P.: 1986, Water Supply 4, 11–21.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hall, T., Walker, R. A. and Zabel, T. F.: 1985, Proceedings of the Conference” Nitrates in Water”, Paris, October 1985.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hamon, M. and Fustec, E.: 1991, Res. J. Water Pollut. Control Fed. 63, 942–949.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Harremoes, P., Jansen, J. la C. and Kristensen, G. H.: 1980, Prog. Water Technol. 12, 253–269.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Janda, V., Rudovsky, J., Wanner, J. and Marha, K.: 1988, Water Sci. Technol. 20, 215–219.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kiss, I., Szekeres, S., Bejerano, T. T. and Soares, M. I. M.: 1999, Water Sci. Technol. (Submitted).

    Google Scholar 

  • Kurt, M, Dunn, I. J. and Bourne, J. R.: 1987, Biotechnol. Bioeng. 29, 493–501.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kapoor, A. and Viraraghavan, T.: 1997, J. Environ. Eng. 123, 371–380.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liessens, J., Germonpre, R., Beernaert, S. and Verstraete, W.: 1993, J. AWWA 85, 144–154.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • MacDonald, D. V.: 1990, J. Water Pollut. Control Fed. 62, 796–802.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mansell, B.O. and Schroeder, E.D.: 1999, Water Res. 33, 1845–1850.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Martin, G. and Blecon, G.: 1983, Aqua 32, 66–67.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mercado, A., Libhaber, M. and Soares, M. I. M.: 1988, Water Sci. Technol 20, 197–209.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mirvish, S. S.: 1985, Sience 315, 461–462.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nilsson, I. and Ohlson, S.: 1982, Eur. J. Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 14, 86–90.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Philipot, J. M, Chaffange, F. and Pascal, O.: 1985, Water Supply 3, 93–98.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reising, A. R. and Schroeder, E. D.: 1996, J. Environ. Eng., ASCE 127, 599–604.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Richard, Y. R.: 1989, J. Inst. Water Environ. Manage. 3, 154–167.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Roennefahrt, K. W.: 1986, Aqua 5, 283–285.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rogalla, F., Ravarini, P., De Larminat, G. and Couttelle, J.: 1990, J. Inst. Water Environ. Manage. 4, 319–329.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ronen, D., Berkowitz, B. and Magaritz, M.: 1989, Transport in Porous Media 4, 295–306.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sakakibara, Y. and Kuroda, M.: 1993, Biotechnol. Bioeng. 42, 535–537.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schlegel, H. G., Kaltwasser, H. and Gottschalk, G.: 1961, Arch. Mikrobiool. 38, 209–222.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Soares, M. I. M. and Abeliovich, A.: 1998, Water Res. 32, 3790–3794.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Soares, M. I. M., Belkin, S. and Abeliovich, A.: 1988, Water Sci. Technol. 20, 189–195.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Soares, M. I. M., Belkin, S. and Abeliovich, A.: 1989, J. Water Wastewater Res. 22, 20–24.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Soares, M. I. M., Braester, C., Belkin, S. and Abeliovich, A.: 1991, Water Res. 25, 325–332.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Soares, M. I. M., Brenner, A., Yevzori, A., Messalem, R., Leroux, Y. and Abeliovich, A.: 1999, Water Sci. Technol. (Submitted).

    Google Scholar 

  • Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater. 1992, 18th edition, American Public Health Association / American Water Works Association/Water Environmental Federation, Washington, DC., USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • van der Hoek, J. P., Hijnen, W. A. M., van Bennekom, C. A. and Mijnarends, B. J.: 1992, Aqua 41, 209–218.

    Google Scholar 

  • van der Hoek, J. P., Kappelhof, J. W. N. M. and Schippers, J. C.: 1994, Aqua 43, 84–94.

    Google Scholar 

  • van der Hoek, J. P. and Klapwijk, A.: 1987, Water Res. 21, 989–997.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van der Hoek, J. P. and Klapwijk, A.: 1988, Water Supply 6, 57–62.

    Google Scholar 

  • Volokita, M., Abeliovich, A. and Soares, M. I. M.: 1996a, Water Sci. Technol. 34, 379–385.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Volokita, M., Belkin, S., Abeliovich, A. and Soares, M. I. M.: 1996b, Water Res. 30, 965–971.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • WHO: 1984, Guidelines for drinking water quality, World Health Organization, Geneva, Vol. 2, pp. 290–292.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yutaka, S. and Kuroda, M.: 1993, Biotechnol. Bioeng., 42, 535–537.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zumft, W.: 1992, ‘The dentrifying prokaryotes’, in A. Balows, H.G. Truper, M. Dwokin, W. Harder and K.-H. Schleifer (eds), The Prokaryotes, Springer-Verlag, New York, USA, pp. 554–582.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Hydrology & Microbiology, The Jacob Blaustein Institute for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer, 84990, Israel

    M. I. M. Soares

Authors
  1. M. I. M. Soares
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory for Environmental Microbiology, Division of Environmental Sciences, The Fredy and Nadine Herrmann Graduate School of Applied Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel

    Shimshon Belkin

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2000 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Soares, M.I.M. (2000). Biological Denitrification of Groundwater. In: Belkin, S. (eds) Environmental Challenges. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4369-1_16

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4369-1_16

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-5878-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-011-4369-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation