Evaluating bioremediation technologies

Conference · · Ground Water; (United States)

OSTI ID:7124766

Rittmann, B E ^[1]

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1. Northwestern Univ., Evanston, IL (United States)

Despite offering major benefits for minimizing costs and risks, bioremediation will be implemented fully only when its success can be evaluated against the criteria important to all the key stakeholders: (1) regulators must be assured that mandated cleanup goals are met; (2) clients want to know that the cleanup technology is cost effective and has little risk of unexpected failure; and (3) bioremediation vendors want to be able to demonstrate that their approach was the reason that regulators and clients are satisfied. Satisfying each of these success criteria is achievable only when the three-step evaluation strategy developed by the National Research Council's Committee on In Situ Bioremediation is followed. The three steps are: (1) document loss of the contaminant from field samples; (2) demonstrate the potential for biotransformation through laboratory studies or reference to the peer-reviewed literature; and (3) provide several types of evidence from field samples demonstrating that the biotransformation potential actually is realized. Obtaining evidence of biotransformation in the field is the most important and most challenging step. It provides the cause-and-effect link between the potential that bioremediation is working and the success criteria.

• OSTI ID: 7124766
• Report Number(s): CONF-9410209--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Ground Water; (United States) Journal Volume: 32:5
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540220* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
BIODEGRADATION
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CLEANING
DECOMPOSITION
DECONTAMINATION
GROUND WATER
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
MANAGEMENT
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTANTS
PROCESSING
REMEDIAL ACTION
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WATER