CENSUS® qPCR: Evaluating Biostimulation to Overcome DCE Stall
A site impacted by PCE and TCE was experiencing an accumulation of cis-DCE (DCE stall). CENSUS qPCR quantification demonstrated that Dehalococcoides concentrations were too low for effective rates of complete reductive dechlorination.
Site managers asked: “Is bioaugmentation required or will biostimulation alone be sufficient to result in complete reductive dechlorinaton?” Monitoring with Bio-Traps® and CENSUS® analysis showed that stimulation with an electron donor resulted in complete reductive dechlorination with conversion of accumulated cis-DCE to vinyl chloride and then ethene.
Avoiding the expense of bioaugmentation resulted in significant cost savings while achieving treatment goals with biostimulation alone.
