Biocatalyst Platform Technology for Enhancing Cometabolic Biodegradation

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Hundreds of different harmful pollutants have contaminated valuable water supplies and resources. Many of these contaminants are recalcitrant (resistant to degradation), and their safe and effective removal from water can be cost prohibitive. For example, chlorinated solvents like trichloroethylene and chloroform are likely human carcinogens with myriad health effects at varying kinds and levels of exposure. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established amaximum contaminant level (MCL) for TCE in drinking water of 5 (ug/L). Another recalcitrant compound N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) is also a probable carcinogen with maximum notification levels of 10 ng/L in many states. Collectively, recalcitrant organicpollutants in water affect hundreds of thousands of sites in the United States and severely confound public and private water treatment efforts. Compared with physical and chemical technologies, biological treatment offers the potential for low-energy