Evaluation of Isotopic Enrichment Factors for the Biodegradation of Chlorinated Ethenes Using a Parameter Estimation Model: Toward an Improved Quantification of Biodegradation

A model was developed to predict the concentrations of chlorinated ethenes and ethene during sequential reductive dechlorination of tetrachloroethene (PCE) from stable carbon isotope values using Rayleigh model principles and specified isotopic enrichment factors for each step of dechlorination. The model was tested using three separate datasets of concentration and isotope values measured during three experiments involving the degradation of PCE to vinyl chloride (VC), trichloroethene (TCE) to ethene, and cis-1,2-dichloroethene (cDCE) to ethene. The model was then coupled to a parameter estimation method to estimate values for the isotopic enrichment factors of TCE, cDCE, and VC when they are intermediates in the dechlorination to ethene. The enrichment factors estimated for TCE and cDCE when they were intermediates in biodegradation experiments were close to or within the published range of enrichment factors determined from experiments where TCE or cDCE were the initial substrates. In contrast, the enr...