Bioaugmentation for Anaerobic Bioremediation of Chlorinated Solvents

Abstract

Bioaugmentation involves the introduction of microorganisms into soil or groundwater to improve biological activity. Though used for other purposes, such as improving agricultural yields or efficiency, the use of bioaugmentation to promote the degradation of contaminants in the subsurface has increased significantly in recent years (Gentry et al., 2004). Bioaugmentation has been viewed with skepticism in the past, but there has been increasing evidence in recent years that it can accelerate the bioremediation of some contaminants under some site conditions. Bioaugmentation has become particularly useful for treating groundwater contaminated with chlorinated solvents.