HELM, JANA · Stimulation of in situ microbial remediation of polluted soils by electrokinetics

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Project objective

There is a definite requirement for the development and implementation of effective remediation technologies to clean up contaminated land. Microorganisms have an almost infinite ability to break down both natural substances and many man-made contaminants. Despite this impressive versatility, soils continue to be contaminated decades after discharges have ceased. Even when soils contain numerous microorganisms, with the genes to degrade in-coming contaminants, typical degradation rates are very slow and decrease with contact time. The lack of remedial activity is often due to low bioavailability of the contaminant, which becomes locked up in the pore spaces of the soil, inaccessible to microorganisms. The aim of this project is to use a low DC field (electrokinetics) to move pollutants in the soil such that they are released and become bioavailable, in a manner that we can use to understand the binding forces. In this context, the different components (soil, pollutants and microbes) of 'real' samples of soils from contaminated sites will be studied. In particular, the potential response of microbial communities to electrokinetic stimulation of contaminant degradation will be determined. his knowledge can then be used to develop a tool-kit to enable examination of contaminated land, so that predictions about bio-or other remediation strategies for clean-up can be made. In a mutidisciplinary approach, methods of many areas including microbiology, molecular biology, analytical and organic chemistry, chemical and civil engineering will be applied, providing an excellent opportunity for combining these different disciplines into a single research project.

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Participants

• THE CHANCELLOR, MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD · OXFORDCoordinatorUnited Kingdom

Links

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