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

该小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第二阶段项目旨在开发一种创新的解决方案，以解决可变饱和、低渗透土壤中的氯化溶剂污染问题。之前的第一阶段工作已经证明：1)甲壳素是刺激氯化溶剂生物降解的有效电子供体，2)甲壳素提高了溶剂的生物利用度，3)甲壳素可以并入低渗透土壤的专利水力压裂过程，以及4)甲壳素的输送方法在现场小规模有效。第二阶段项目的目标是大规模评估甲壳素的生物降解效率和寿命。目前用于低渗透土壤的方法都是非常资本密集型的，而且很少完全有效。相比之下，建议的方法是低成本和被动的，并且适用于“现场”。这种方法特别有吸引力，因为甲壳素作为贝类产业的副产品大量可用。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.