| STUDY |
Bacteria also affect the flow of water containing organic contaminants through topsoil, gravel, and rock, according to Randall A. LaViolette, an INEEL geochemist who also spoke at the symposium. INEEL is studying whether native microorganisms can be coaxed to degrade dissolved organic contaminants in aquifers. Although this bioremediation process appears promising in lab tests, it happens far more slowly in the field. LaViolette and colleague Daphne L. Stoner have turned to modeling to figure out why. THEIR MODELING shows that differences in the spatial distribution of bacteria underground produce "hot spots" of contaminant concentration. Lab tests, on the other hand, mix bacteria and a dilute, homogenous solution of contaminant--suggesting that more contaminant would be left in the field because bacteria are unevenly distributed. He told C&EN that their results have inspired proposals of how bacteria in the field might be "stirred" to speed up bioremediation. |
| UPDATE | 10.03 |
| AUTHOR | INEEL's LaViolette Randall A. |
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