Biofilm Remediation for Restoration of Contaminated Army Sites

A number of U.S. Army sites are contaminated with recalcitrant chemicals such as trichloroethylene (TCE), perchloroethylene (PCE), vinyl chloride, and various explosives (i.e., TNT). Bioremediation is the use of microorganisms to eliminate or reduce theconcentrations of hazardous materials from air, water, or soil. Over the past 20 years, this technique has been utilized in the successful cleanup of thousands of contaminated sites with more labile chemicals such as petroleum hydrocarbons,non-chlorinated solvents, and soluble organic wastes. However, very little research has been conducted on the contributions of individual species in the complex and unique roles involved in the degradation of the above-referenced recalcitrant compounds.EnSolve has developed a patented fixed-film bioreactor that is successful in reducing high concentrations of labile organic chemicals such as those mentioned earlier. It has not yet been employed in the degradation of recalcitrant molecules. EnSolveproposes to develop a TCE-degrading biofilm using a unique co-substrate