Creation of an Artificial Roll Front as a Reactive Barrier for Metal Precipitation

2 Creation of an Artificial Roll Front as a Reactive Barrier for Metal Precipitation--MBX Systems, Inc., 325 South Euclid Avenue, Suite 123, Tucson, AZ 85719-6653; (520) 620-0072 Mr. Daniel Siath, Principal Investigator Ms. Marge Karlage, Business Official DOE Grant No. DE-FG03-97ER82426 Amount: $12,422 Nearly all Department of Energy facilities have landfills, buried waste areas, or burning grounds that contain a variety of contaminants, including organic, inorganic, and radioactive materials as well as mixtures of them. These sources of contamination must be contained in order to avoid polluting other areas. Understanding how to mimick a ¿roll front¿ barrier, a naturally occurring microbiological phenomenon, that does not interact with the natural gradient of water and toxic waste while fixing pollutants in place is a goal of this project. A series of studies will be conducted in Phase I to demonstrate the efficiency of an artificially generated bacterial-reducing zone where contaminants are reduced to stable precipitates that minimize groundwater pollution. Effective treatment doses will be determined as will be the biological, chemical, and remediation challenges. Phase II will develop a roll front for actual use in the field by using different techniques to assess whether a semisolid, a dehydrated liquid, or a liquid is the most effective medium for remediation. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: The bacterially- generated reducing zone can be used for both contaminate remediation and containment in the mining, hazardous waste disposal, and water treatment situations without interfering with naturally-occurring hydrological gradients. Single or combination application of the above media can provide long-term protection of surface and groundwater in areas of potential metal or hazardous waste contamination.