An Electrokinetic System for Accelerated Bioremediation for Differing Soil Types

The Department of Defense has undertaken an ambitious environmental restoration program through its facilities located throughout the United States. . The decontamination of soils and groundwater polluted with organics presents one of the most intractableproblems for clean up. . Bioremediation has become widely accepted as the technology for the management of contaminated aquifers. It has been shown that stimulation of bacteria by the addition of electron donor species / nutrients can yield significantlyfaster site closure times reducing the remediation time from 30 to three years. However delivery of these compounds represents a significant technical challenge in low permeability clay soils where fractures, and preferential hydraulic pathways preventeven distribution of the treatment solutions thus essentially stopping the process. Lynntech Inc. has developed a patented electrokinetic based system that will allow the delivery of electron donor and or nutrient species to an exact location with thesubsurface independent of soil type. During the Phase I, Lynntech will demonstrate the feasibility of using this enhanced electrokinetic system to accelerate bioremediation at a site at Tinker Air Force Base. The end of the Phase I effort will coincidewith start up of a larger full scale demonstration in Phase II. Because this technology has mission specific applications within the DOD and general applications with civilian agencies, the commercialization strategy must fulfill the needs of both.Lynntech will license portions of this technology to a strategic partner such as APS Materials, Inc., Geragty & Miller, IT, or Dames & Moore who have the infrastructure already in place to facilitate a smooth transition from prototype to product. Thesestrategic partners already have the materials suppliers, assembly capabilities, marketing and sales, and distribution network necessary for a successful product launch.