Etsuko Sugawa

Bioaugmentation of TCE-Contaminated Soil with Inducer-Free Microbes

Environmental pollution is a world-wide problem since these pollutants cause serious disease not only for human beings but also for other plants and animals. Trichlo-roethylene (TCE) is a typical pollutant in soil and groundwater, and its concentration is strictly regulated since many people are using groundwater as drinking water. TCE is very stable in the environment, and soil vapor extraction (SVE) is frequently used for the removal of TCE. However, the removal efficiency in SVE decreases with low concentrations of TCE. Charcoal adsorption and photocatalytic degradation are other approaches to detoxify soil and groundwater, but in situ treatment is needed for cost-effective remediation. Bioremediation for TCE-contaminated soil is an attractive approach for in situ treatment, and many microbes which can decompose TCE have been reported.