Advisor: B. Tilton, Chemical
Engineering and Dept of Biomedical Engineering.
We will develop biodegradable polymer capsules loaded with zero valent iron nanoparticles
for remediation of groundwater contaminated by chlorinated organic solvents.
Zero valent iron oxidizes in water to liberate hydrogen, which can in turn be
utilized as an electron source by anaerobic bacteria that have evolved to metabolize
chlorinated solvents to less toxic compounds. The breakdown of the polymer
capsule will release compounds that can be utilized as a carbon source by the
same bacteria. Thus, encapsulated iron zero particles are intended to serve as
a sustained mechanism to stimulate natural biological dechlorination processes.
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