Kinetics of Perchlorate- and Chlorate-Respiring Bacteria

Ten chlorate-respiring bacteria were isolated from wastewater and a perchlorate-degrading bioreactor. Eight of the isolates were able to degrade perchlorate, and all isolates used oxygen and chlorate as terminal electron acceptors. The growth kinetics of two perchlorate-degrading isolates, designated “Dechlorosoma” sp. strains KJ and PDX, were examined with acetate as the electron donor in batch tests. The maximum observed aerobic growth rates of KJ and PDX (0.27 and 0.28 h(−1), respectively) were only slightly higher than the anoxic growth rates obtained by these isolates during growth with chlorate (0.26 and 0.21 h(−1), respectively). The maximum observed growth rates of the two non-perchlorate-utilizing isolates (PDA and PDB) were much higher under aerobic conditions (0.64 and 0.41 h(−1), respectively) than under anoxic (chlorate-reducing) conditions (0.18 and 0.21 h(−1), respectively). The maximum growth rates of PDX on perchlorate and chlorate were identical (0.21 h(−1)) and exceeded that of strain KJ on perchlorate (0.14 h(−1)). Growth of one isolate (PDX) was more rapid on acetate than on lactate. There were substantial differences in the half-saturation constants measured for anoxic growth of isolates on acetate with excess perchlorate (470 mg/liter for KJ and 45 mg/liter for PDX). Biomass yields (grams of cells per gram of acetate) for strain KJ were not statistically different in the presence of the electron acceptors oxygen (0.46 ± 0.07 [n = 7]), chlorate (0.44 ± 0.05 [n = 7]), and perchlorate (0.50 ± 0.08 [n = 7]). These studies provide evidence that facultative microorganisms with the capability for perchlorate and chlorate respiration exist, that not all chlorate-respiring microorganisms are capable of anoxic growth on perchlorate, and that isolates have dissimilar growth kinetics using different electron donors and acceptors.