Objectives

This project aimes to demonstrate the applicability of an innovative, cost-efficient and energy-efficient remediation technique for groundwater contaminated with CAHs for a site characterized by low natural groundwater flow velocities.

The main objectives of the project are:

1. Demonstrate the applicability of HGBcells using biostimulation (addition of carbon source) and bioaugmentation (addition of carbon source and bacteria) for the remediation of a CAH groundwater contamination in areas where groundwater velocity is very low due to low hydraulic gradients;
2. Demonstrate the succesfull upscaling of the production of the dechlorinating microbial culture to be used in the HGBcell for bioaugmentation;
3. Demonstrate the cost efficiency and energy efficiency of the remediation technique (HGBcell using biostimulation and HGBcell using bioaugmentation) for the remediation of CAH contaminated groundwater with an emphasis on 12DCA;
4. Demonstrate the applicability of the groundwater model that was developed.
5. Dissemination of knowledge to stakeholders and the EC.

We will also try to develop an anaerobic bioreactor for the growth of bacteria on a large scale at the LVM-site. For this bioreactor, the same bacterial population as the one for the HGBcells will be used.  This action is an opportunity for further development of the possibilities of bioremediation.