Biogeochemical Factors Affecting Microbial Transformation of Co- Occurring Contaminants in Sediments from a Saltmarsh Superfund Site

摘要

A common difficulty associated with devising bioremediation strategies for many contaminated sites is the co-occurrence of several classes of toxic chemicals. In the case where mixed contaminants are present, the likelihood of interactions between candidate transformation pathways is high and greatly complicates remediation processes. Because these pathways are believed to involve complex microbial consortia, this program seeks to investigate the linkages among biogeochemical parameters, microbial activity, microbial diversity and community structure, as they apply to the transformation of co- occurring contaminants. It is hypothesized that a fundamental understanding of these linkages will lead to the development of enhanced in situ remediation strategies.