Bioremediation Through Enhancement of Soil Microbial Populations

这一小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目将通过使用创新的电化学方法改善土壤微环境，为改善生物修复工作提供技术基础。与现有的其他去污方法相比，原位工程生物修复可以更快、更经济地减少或销毁地下土壤中的有机污染物，而且对环境的破坏更小。工程化生物修复中最令人关注的问题是没有降解污染物的微生物。该提案描述了将证明一种新的就地电化学系统的可行性的研究，该系统将增强土壤微生物种群，从而促进更有效地降解有机污染物。这种方法的优点包括：(1)污染物在地下环境中降解；(2)化学添加剂成本低，对环境无害；(3)场地去污的资本成本相对较低。第一阶段的实验将使用实验室规模的系统进行，该系统包含不同组成和特性的天然土壤。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will provide a technical foundation for the improvement of bioremediation efforts through the use of innovative electrochemical enhancement of the soil microenvironment. In situ engineered bioremediation can be used to reduce or destroy organic contaminants in subsoils quickly, more economically, and with less disruption of operation of the environment than other decontamination methods currently available. The great concern in engineered bioremediation is the absence of contaminant degrading microbes. This proposal describes research that will demonstrate the feasibility of a new in situ electrochemical system that will enhance the soil microbial population thus promoting the more efficient degradation of organic contaminants. Advantages offered by this approach include: (1) contaminant degradation occurs in the subsurface environment; (2) the chemical additives are low cost and environmentally benign; and (3) relatively low capital cost for decontamination of site. Phase I experiments will be conducted using bench scale systems, containing natural soils of varying compositions and characteristics.