goodwater

WP 14 addresses the development of biostimulation and bioaugmentation strategies for anaerobic degradation of volatile organic chlorinated compounds. Although chlorinated C-2 hydrocarbon compounds form one of the most abundant chlorinated groundwater pollutants on earth and are known to be degraded by reductive dechlorination towards harmless end products, not all aquifers possess this intrinsic degradation capacity. Therefore, bioaugmentation strategies will be developed for in situ reductive dechlorination using 1,2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCA) and vinyl chloride (VC) as representative for chlorinated C-2 compounds. Batch studies will be conducted in laboratory using Desulfitobacterium dichloroeliminans strain DCA1 as bio-agent to reductive dechlorinate 1,2-DCA, while an isolated consortium (provided by fellow 13, K.U.Leuven) will be used to remediate groundwater contaminated by VC. CSIA, indicative of microbial degradation in situ, and mathematical modelling techniques to quantify pollutant and bacteria transport in aquifers will be used to assess the feasibility and the probability of success of the treatment itself. Batch experiments will be conducted in defined laboratory conditions and subsequently using contaminated environmental samples from fellow 12 (VITO). DGGE (denaturant gradient gel electrophoresis) and qPCR on 16S rRNA gene and functional genes (reductive dehalogenase) will be used to verify the colonization of the bioaugmented strains. The majority of the work will be performed by fellow 14 (SV: W. Verstraete/ N. Boon, UGent). Collaborations are foreseen with fellows 6 (K.U.Leuven), 7 (HMGU), 11 (HMGU), 12 (VITO), and 13 (K.U.Leuven). Fellow 14 will receive an initial training of 5-6 weeks at the end of the first year (month 12-13) together with fellow 12 (VITO) on Compound Specific Isotope Analysis at HMGU (fellow 7). 2 short stays of 3 weeks (month 21 and month 32) will follow to perform the analysis. Besides, fellow 14 will receive training on mathematical modelling techniques to quantify water fluxes and transport parameters in a heterogeneous porous aquifer by fellow 11 (HMGU). He will also receive training on SIP (stable isotope probing) by fellow 8 (HMGU). Fellow 14 (DTU) will provide an extensive theoretical and practical knowledge in the domain of bioremediation and application of molecular biology to predict and follow a treatment to fellow 7 (GFS) that will be then involved in CSIA experiments. Fellow 14 will be provided 4 weeks of training by Avecom (T. Vercauteren) which envisages the use of microcosm tests for evaluating the biodegradation potential in aquifers.