Remediation of TCE-contaminated groundwater using nanocatalyst and bacteria

J Nanosci Nanotechnol. 2011 Aug;11(8):7172-5. doi: 10.1166/jnn.2011.4872.

Abstract

The objective of this study was to develop and evaluate the remediation of trichloroethene (TCE)-contaminated groundwater using both a nanocatalyst (bio-Zn-magnetite) and bacterium (similar to Clostridium quinii) in anoxic environments. Of the 7 nanocatalysts tested, bio-Zn-magnetite showed the highest TCE dechlorination efficiency, with an average of ca. 90% within 8 days in a batch experiment. The column tests confirmed that the application of bio-Zn-magnetite in combination with the bacterium achieved high degradation efficiency (ca. 90%) of TCE within 5 days compared to the nanocatalyst only, which degraded only 30% of the TCE. These results suggest that the application of a nanocatalyst and the bacterium have potential for the remediation of TCE-contaminated groundwater in subsurface environments.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bacteria / metabolism*
  • Environmental Restoration and Remediation / methods*
  • Groundwater*
  • Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
  • Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
  • Trichloroethylene / isolation & purification*
  • Trichloroethylene / metabolism
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical / isolation & purification*
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical / metabolism

Substances

  • Water Pollutants, Chemical
  • Trichloroethylene