Why is contamination of groundwater with chlorinated solvents such a problem?
Chlorinated solvents, such as TCE (trichloroethylene) and PCE (perchloroethylene), have been widely used in large quantities—millions of pounds per year—for more than 60 years. They are used primarily as degreasers, but also used in manufacturing and dry cleaning. These solvents are denser than water and not very water-soluble, so they sink in the groundwater, creating large, persistent underground plumes. What is bioremediation? Bioremediation takes advantage of natural bacterial processes to degrade or sequester the contaminants in place, rather than pumping the groundwater to the surface for treatment. We can enhance this natural process by providing substrates that stimulate the bacteria to accelerate the process or make it more efficient. This is called biostimulation. Another enhancement is bioaugmentation, where we actually add particular bacteria to facilitate the desired process. What are the benefits of bioremediation compared to more traditional pump-and-treat methods? Biore
