The importance of proper pH adjustment and control to achieve complete in situ enhanced reductive dechlorination

Abstract

This article is part of the special series "Remtech Europe 2021: International Approaches to Contamination Management." The series documents and advances the current state of the practice, with respect to the sustainable management of contaminated sites, high resolution techniques for characterization, disrupting technologies for remediation of soil and groundwater, and risk assessment frameworks.

International approaches to contamination management: Introduction to the RemTech Europe 2021 Special Series

“…Ortiz‐Medina et al (2022) focused on pH as a key abiotic factor in the in situ bioremediation of chlorinated compounds (e.g., perchloroethylene and trichloroethylene) in groundwater through enhanced reductive dechlorination. For the organohalide‐respiring bacteria Dehalococcoides spp., pH is a crucial aspect of bacterial growth; pH greater than 6 may reduce toxic intermediates of chlorinated compounds (e.g., cis ‐dichloroethylene and vinyl chloride).…”

“…Finally, any possible tool that reduces pollutant leaching into groundwater will limit exposure and risks. These themes are addressed by Jevrosimov et al (2022) and Ortiz-Medina et al (2022).…”