System and method for continuous metabolism of 1,4-dioxane

A method of reducing 1,4-dioxane content in water, the method comprising:

• providing a bioreactor system comprising:
• a housing having an inlet and an outlet;
• at least one adsorbent layer which (i) comprises a biofilm comprising microbial inoculum capable of metabolizing 1,4-dioxane, and (ii) is contained with the housing;
• and
• a first screen positioned downstream from the at least one adsorbent layer, wherein the first screen has a plurality of openings having a largest dimension of about 0.001 mm,
• wherein the first screen is configured to retain within the bioreactor system any of the biofilm and microbial inoculum that becomes detached from the at least one adsorbent layer, and
• wherein the housing is configured to receive through the inlet a flow of an influent comprising water contaminated with 1,4-dioxane and the bioreactor is configured to be operated in a manner effective to discharge an effluent from the outlet, which effluent comprises water contaminated with 1,4-dioxane in an amount of less than 0.5 μg/L;
• enriching, via the influent, the biofilm within the bioreactor system, which biofilm comprises 1,4-dioxane-metabolizing microbial inoculum;
• removing the biofilm from the bioreactor system;
• and then
• injecting the biofilm into a contaminated site, wherein injecting the biofilm into the contaminated site results in in-situ remediation of the contaminated site through bioaugmentation.