SBIR-STTR Award

Volatile halogenated aliphatic compounds (VHALs) are predominant contaminants at hazardous waste sites. Trichloroethylene (TCE)is the most commonly occurring compound in this class. These compounds are persistent and therefore require some form of remediation or removal. Present technology utilizes carbon adsorption, which means transferring the hazardous compounds to another medium which must be decontaminated by combustion. The proposed project intends to develop an alternative technology utilizing microbial degradation for remediation of VHAL-contaminated sites.The study will test model laboratory-scale bioreactors for degradation of TCE in water using the microorganism strain G4, previously isolated and shown to degrade TCE to nontoxic products. The organism will also be assessed for its ability to degrade other VHALs of environmental concern including tetrachloroethylene, dichloroethylene, vinyl chloride, and l,l,l-trichloroethane. The efficiency of VHALs degradation by strain G4 will be compared to other microorganisms to determine the or-ganisms that are most effective for application. The results will be used to prepare a cost analysis for using this technology as compared to carbon adsorption. The project should culminate in the development of a rapid and cost-effective method for onsite detoxification of VHALs.Commercial Applications:Research will lead to the development of a bioremediation process that will remove trichloroethylene (TCE) and other volatile, halogenated, aliphatic compounds (VHALs) from soil, groundwater and waste streams.

This is an award to support for Phase II of a project initiated under NSF Grant No. 88-60919 under conditions outlined in the Program Solicitation for Small Business Innovation Research, NSF 88-8. The work under Phase I resulted in demonstration of the feasibility of an innovative concept using microbes to biologically degrade volatile halogenated aliphatic organic contaminants of soil. The process achieved as much as 99.9 percent destruction of trichloroethylene. In Phase II, the scope of the work will be narrowed to a liquid-phase reactor that is of sufficiently large scale to facilitate full- scale design and construction of prototype bioreactors and determine the commercial applicability of the process by determining its efficiency and economic feasibility. The contamination of ground and surface waters by organic compounds that are the target of this research is a matter of great National concern. It is imperative that technologies be developed that are more efficiently responsive to decontamination of soil.1 Results of this project are expected to be useful in this respect.