Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	EP/C528883/1
Title:	RTDF-UK In Situ Source Area Bioremediation
Principal Investigator:	Wilson, Dr R
Other Investigators:	Lerner, Professor DN Anderson, Professor CW
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:	Environmental Simulations
Department:	Civil and Structural Engineering
Organisation:	University of Sheffield
Scheme:	LINK
Starts:	01 February 2005	Ends:	31 July 2009	Value (£):	253,450
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Assess/Remediate Contamination
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	Environment
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Summary on Grant Application Form
The widespread use of chlorinated solvent liquids (e.g. TCE, PCE) as degreasing agents in parts manufacture, dry cleaning and maintenance activities has resulted in extensive groundwater contamination. Because they are relatively insoluble and denser than water, these non-aqueous phase liquids (NAPLs) pose a particularly difficult remediation challenge. Indeed traditional techniques have proven ineffective, inspiring the search for more robust in situ approaches. Under oxygen-deficient conditions, certain organisms are capable of metabolising chlorinated solvent compounds using a stepwise process known as reductive dechlorination. This anaerobic microbial activity can be stimulated via the controlled addition of growth substrates needed to create the conditions necessary to drive the reductive dechlorination all the way to non-toxic ethene, a process known as bioremediation. Through integrated lab and field experimentation, this project will evaluate the hypothesis that enhancing in situ microbial activity in close proximity to a TCE NAPL will maximise the rate of dissolution, and therefore reduce the lifetime, of the source. Key aspects of the project will be a rigorous statistical assessment of treatment performance and the development of a statistically based tool to allow prediction of treatment performance at other, less intensively instrumented site.
Key Findings
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Potential use in non-academic contexts
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Project URL:
Further Information:
Organisation Website:	http://www.shef.ac.uk