SBIR Phase II: Bioremediation of Chlorinated Solvents in Saturated, Low Permeability Soils

这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）二期项目提出了一种创新的解决方案，以解决变饱和、低渗透土壤中氯化溶剂污染的问题。先前的第一阶段工作已经证明：1)几丁质是刺激氯化溶剂生物降解的有效电子供体；2)几丁质提高了溶剂的生物利用度；3)几丁质可以加入到低渗透土壤的水力压裂工艺中；4)几丁质的输送方法在小规模的现场是有效的。二期项目的目标是大规模评价甲壳素的生物降解效率和寿命。目前处理低渗透土壤的方法是非常资本密集的，而且很少完全有效。相比之下，拟议的办法是低成本和被动的，并且“就地”适用。这种方法特别有吸引力，因为甲壳素作为贝类工业的副产品是丰富的。该项目的商业应用是在土壤生物修复领域。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II Project proposes to develop an innovative solution to the the problem of chlorinated solvent contamination in variably saturated, low permeability soils. Prior Phase I work has demonstrated that: 1) chitin is an effective electron donor for stimulating biodegradation of chlorinated solvents, 2) that chitin enhances bioavailability of the solvents, 3) that chitin can be incorporated into a proprietary hydraulic fracturing process for low permeability soils, and 4) that thedelivery method for chitin is effective in the field on a small scale. The objectives of the Phase II Project are to evaluate biodegradation efficiency and longevity of chitin on a large scale. Current approaches for low permeability soils are very capital-intensive and are seldom totally effective. The proposed approach, in contrast, is low-cost and passive, and applicable "in situ". The method is particularly attractive since chitin is available in abundance as a byproduct from the shellfish industry. The commercial applications of this project are in the area of soil bioremediation.