Electrochemical biostimulation of aerobic metabolic TCE degradation in a bioaugmentation approach

Chloroethenes are globally prevalent groundwater contaminants. Since 2014, TCE has been shown to be degradable in an aerobic metabolic process where it is used as sole energy source and growth substrate by a mixed bacteria culture (SF culture). In 2019, the SF culture was shown to be successfully used in bioaugmentation approaches under field-relevant conditions. In this study, a combined bio-/electro-approach to stimulate the TCE degradation by the SF culture was investigated in laboratory experiments. Column experiments were set up to compare a bioaugmentation approach with an electrochemical biostimulated bioaugmentation approach. Low strength direct current increased the amount of degraded TCE to about 150 % of the control. Through lowering the inflow concentration of oxygen, the effect of the electro-biostimulation in a low oxygen setting confirmed the potential of the bio-electro process for treatment of oxygen-deprived, TCE-contaminated sites.