At a petroleum pipeline release in a remote area Bio-Traps® and CENSUS® qPCR for BTEX catabolic functional genes proved stimulation of BTEX biodegradation in impacted groundwater and provided an additional line of evidence to support acceptance of an MNA management strategy at the site.
Site managers asked: “Can molecular biological tools provide even more evidence of hydrocarbon biodegradation in the plume? The answer was yes. Next generation sequencing (NGS), comparing the plume to background, showed an overall microbial community response as the hydrocarbons and hydrocarbon derivatives cycled through different phylogenetic groups.
Contaminant trends, geochemistry, CENSUS® qPCR, and NGS provided multiple lines of evidence supporting an MNA management strategy and avoiding the greater costs of enhanced remediation.
