Development of Coupled Physicochemical and Biological Systems for In Situ Remediation of Mixed Perfluorinated Chemical and Chlorinated Solvent Groundwater Plumes (SERDP ER-2714)
The Cápiro lab’s task: Development of Sequential Biological Treatment Systems
Objectives: identify and characterize synergistic and inhibitory relationships between the sorptive and reactive materials developed in Task 1 and biological processes capable of transforming chlorinated ethenes and/or PFOA and PFOS reaction byproducts.
1. Organohalide Respiration Following Treatment with Soptive System
- Assess extent and rates of microbial reductive dechlorination of chlorinated ethenes in the presence of PFAS following treatment by sorptive materials
- Investigate the PFAS toxicity threshold and resilience of organohalide
respiring bacteria with:- solid phase for microbial attachment
- Realistic groundwater temperatures (10-15°C)
- Varying exposure time
2. Biological System Development for Coupled Reactive Treatment
- Screen for biological systems to effectively treat (C-F bond cleavage) effluent streams of PFAS and chlorinated ethene byproducts formed during catalyzed reduction reaction.
- Aerobic and anaerobic microbial communities collected from multiple sources (e.g., PFAS sites and wastewater treatment plants)