Friday, January 25, 2008, 2 PM
Olsson Hall 120

Bioaugmentation for Remediation of Chlorinated Solvent DNAPL
and Dissolved Chlorinated Solvent Mixtures

NEAL DURANT, PH.D.

Abstract

Chlorinated solvents are the most ubiquitous and persistent groundwater
contaminants throughout the industrialized world. Over the past decade, in
situ biological enhanced reductive dechlorination (ERD) has emerged as a
relatively simple and cost-effective technology for treating groundwater
contaminated with chlorinated solvents. ERD involves addition of
fermentable organic substrates to provide reducing equivalents for
dechlorination, and, in some cases, also involves addition of
dehalorespiring organisms (e.g., Dehalococcoides sp.). Success with the
technology has been demonstrated for dissolved phase chlorinated solvent
plumes; however, the technology still faces a number of challenges,
including potential inhibitory conditions with pure chlorinated solvents
(DNAPLs) and certain solvent mixtures. This talk will describe potential
inhibition mechanisms, and present case studies that illustrate successful
application of bioaugmentation cultures for overcoming inhibitory
conditions.

Biography

Dr. Neal Durant is a Principal Engineer with Geosyntec Consultants in
Columbia Maryland. Dr. Durant's consulting practice focuses on design and
operation of in situ remediation systems for treatment of contaminated
groundwater. He received his Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in Environmental
Engineering from the Johns Hopkins University, where he now holds a
part-time faculty position in the Whiting School of Engineering. Dr. Durant
worked previously for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, developing
groundwater policies and regulations, and establishing research priorities.

The Civil Engineering seminar series is open to the University community.
Civil Engineering undergraduate students are especially invited to attend.