title: Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHB) as a slow-release electron donor for advanced in situ bioremediation of chlorinated solvent-contaminated aquifers.
abstract: During the last two decades permeable reactive barriers (PRBs) established as robust alternatives to traditional pump & treat approaches for groundwater remediation. Zero-valent iron (ZVI) is currently the most frequently employed reactive media, especially for treating plumes polluted by chlorinated hydrocarbons. However PRB-ZVI technology is affected by some problems such as the long-term performance decrease, loss of porosity and no applicability to some important compounds, such as 1,2-dichloroetane (1,2-DCA). In this study we wanted to investigate whether the coupling of ZVI with a long-lasting slow-release substrate (i.e. poly-hydroxybutyrate, PHB) could be a strategy to enhance the degradation performance of ZVI barriers towards chlorinated ethanes especially stimulating biological reductive dechlorination downgradient the PRB. Results here presented clearly demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed approach and the possibility that a biodegradable polymer, usually produced for different commercial sectors, could be advantageously used in the groundwater remediation market.
authors.affiliation: "Sapienza University of Rome", Department of Chemistry, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Massimiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baric
authors.affiliation: "Sapienza University of Rome", Department of Chemistry, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pierro
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Occupational Safety and Prevention (ex ISPESL-INAIL), Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Biancamaria
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pietrangeli
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Occupational Safety and Prevention (ex ISPESL-INAIL), Rome, Italy. Electronic address: marco.petrangelipapini@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: Marco Petrangeli
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Papini
mesh_terms: D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D057919:Biological Oxygen Demand Analysis; D004583:Electrons; D005025:Ethylene Dichlorides / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile / Q000032:analysis; D060587:Groundwater / Q000737:chemistry*; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D054813:Polyhydroxyalkanoates / Q000737:chemistry*; D012987:Soil; D012997:Solvents / Q000737:chemistry*; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D005025:Ethylene Dichlorides; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D054813:Polyhydroxyalkanoates; D012987:Soil; D012997:Solvents; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C024565:ethylene dichloride