Executive Summary : | "In many instances, bioremediation is an effective, cost-efficient, and long-term option for the in situ degradation of various types of contaminants. Conventional bioremediation, on the other hand, is limited in its ability to break down chlorinated organics. Furthermore, the pollutants may be present in large enough concentrations to prevent microbial growth and bioremediation effectiveness. Inhibition of bioremediation can be hampered by overlapping contaminants. Another disadvantage of traditional bioremediation is the difficulty in controlling the process, particularly at remote field locations. A bio-electrochemical system (BES) is a device that uses microbial catalysis to transform chemical energy into a useful resource, such as hydrogen in microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) or electricity in microbial fuel cells (MFCs). BESs are currently showing great promise in removing contaminants from a range of habitats, including wastewater, polluted sediments, and soils.
The aim of this project is to create innovative, effective, and low-cost hybrid solutions that combine bioremediation and bio-electrochemical systems (BES). The synergetic effect of various bioremediation strategies for the successful removal of contaminants from water and soil/sediments, as well as the generation of bioelectricity, will be demonstrated. The type of contamination, as well as the basic physicochemical/microbial characteristics of the environment to be depolluted, with a focus on pH, temperature, conductivity, substrates, inoculums, and reactor design parameters including architecture, electrode content, and electrode potential. This will allow the development of ad hoc integrated solutions that consider biodegradation effectiveness, costs, environmental risks, and social factors. Fundamental testing will be carried out in the laboratory, while pilot experiments will be used to demonstrate the feasibility of scaling up for field use. Environmental advantages and risks would be compared to traditional remediation methods, including energy efficiency.
In conclusion, BES-based approaches have the advantage of being easily integrated with other technologies such as BES-wastewater and BES-activated sludge systems to extend the spectrum of contaminants dealt with or achieve a more complete biotransformation of pollutants into non-toxic end products." |