FY 2017 STATEMENT OF NEED 

Environmental Restoration (ER) Program Area 

The overall objective of this Statement of Need (SON) was to improve our ability to treat mixed contaminants of concern (COCs) in groundwater. To do so requires a better understanding of the synergies among different treatment technologies. The ultimate goal is to develop methods that can be used in series or in parallel to address the Department of Defense’s most commonly found COCs in commingled (or co-existing) plumes. In particular, cost-effective methods are needed to stimulate degradation processes likely to have a positive effect on other processes, and to estimate the in situ capability of sustaining the process rates over time. Specifically, the goal was to address the following objectives:

• Develop a greater understanding of the effect of intrinsic physical, chemical, and biological properties and their associated impact on contaminant behavior and fate when contaminants are present in mixtures in lower mobility zones.
• Develop a greater understanding of potential treatment synergies that could lead to cost savings and improved remedial strategies.
• Develop procedures to validate efficacy and implementability of potential treatment trains addressing mixed contamination in groundwater.
• Develop procedures to maximize benefit from treatment interactions and to provide a systematic approach for users on how to effectively identify and manage potential synergies early in the planning process.
• Develop protocols that can be used to: (1) establish achievable remedial goals, (2) assess treatment performance, and (3) estimate remedial outcome based on potential treatment synergies for the targeted COCs.

The projects listed below were selected to address the objectives of this SON. Additional information on individual projects can be found by clicking the project title.

• The Development of Anaerobic Bioremediation Approaches for Chlorinated Solvent and 1,4-Dioxane Co-Contaminated Sites
  • Lead Investigator: Dr. Alison Cupples, Michigan State University
• Biodegradation of CVOCs and 1,4-Dioxane Mixtures by Engineered Microbial Communities
  • Lead Investigator: Dr. Shaily Mahendra, University of California, Los Angeles
• Development of Coupled Physicochemical and Biological Systems for In Situ Remediation of Perfluorinated Chemical and Chlorinated Solvent Groundwater Plumes
  • Lead Investigator: Dr. Kurt Pennell, Tufts University
• In Situ Remediation of Aqueous Film Forming Foams and Common Co-Contaminants with the Dual Approach of Chemical Oxidation and Bioremediation
  • Lead Investigator: Dr. Lisa Alvarez-Cohen, University of California, Berkeley
• Development of Slow Release Compounds for the Aerobic Cometabolic Treatment of Complex Mixtures of COCs (Chlorinated Aliphatic Hydrocarbons, 1,4-Dioxane and Petroleum Hydrocarbons) Released from Low Permeability Zones
  • Lead Investigator: Dr. Lewis Semprini, Oregon State University
• A Novel Reactive Electrochemical Membrane System for Treatment of Mixed Contaminants (Perfluoroalkyl Acids and Trichloroethene)
  • Lead Investigator: Dr. Qingguo Huang, University of Georgia
• Synergistic Treatment of Mixed 1,4-Dioxane and Polyfluorinated Chemical Contaminations by Combining Electrolytic Degradation with Electrobiostimulation
  • Lead Investigator: Dr. Jens Blotevogel, Colorado State University
• Utilizing the Plant Microbiome and Bioaugmentation to Degrade 1,4-Dioxane and Co-Contaminants
  • Lead Investigator: Dr. Jerald Schnoor, University of Iowa
• Key Fate and Transport Processes Impacting the Mass Discharge, Attenuation, and Treatment of Poly- and Perfluoroalkyl Substances and Comingled Chlorinated Solvents or Aromatic Hydrocarbons
  • Lead Investigator: Dr. Christopher Higgins, Colorado School of Mines
• Synergistic Reductive Dechlorination of 1,1,1-Trichloroethane and Trichloroethene and Aerobic Biodegradation of 1,4-Dioxane
  • Lead Investigator: Dr. Bruce Rittmann, Arizona State University

These research efforts should lead to improved site management, specifically for groundwater sites with mixed contamination. Products should provide tools and guidance to users (i.e., Remedial Program Managers [RPMs]) on effective management options for such sites. Further, this information will be used to support cost-benefit analyses of treatment methods for the different contaminants. The resulting tools and understanding should improve the ability to implement effective remedial strategies at DoD sites.