Dev and Validation of a Prototype Field-Portable Intrinsic Bioremediation Test Kit with Data Analysis Software Pkg

Contamination of groundwater and soil with fuel hydrocarbons is a wide-spread environmental problem. Cleanup of fuel hydrocarbon contamination using intrinsic bioremediation has the potential for substantial cost savings. Anaerobic biodegradation of organic chemicals, including benzene and toluene, has been observed in the lab and the field. Anaerobic microorganisms, particularly iron-reducing bacteria (FeRB), play a significant role in intrinsic bioremediation. Therefore, accurate quantitation of available iron with the soil or groundwater is critical for predicting the amount of fuel hydrocarbons that can be degraded during intrinsic bioremediation. Measurement of the amount of available ferric iron (FE III) for FeRB has been difficult. The proposed method of measuring the amount of ferric iron is based on the recognition that several geochemical factors are critical with respect to iron bioavailability. The scientific literature gives many examples of what these factors are and how they can affect iron bioavailability. Iron speciation is only one of several potentially critical factors. The proposed exploratory development is based on 1) determining what these factors are using cost-effective factorial experimental designs, and 2) developing a bioassay to quantify bioavailable iron in aquifer materials. This bioassay will be used in concert with demonstrated analytical methods for determining critical factors identified in the first task.