30. Anaerobic biological treatment

Anaerobic biological treatment consists of encouraging the development of anaerobic micro-organisms capable of degrading pollutants by eliminating oxygen from the environment (figure 30 ). This technique is used on an industrial scale, although it is still not widely applied. It is particularly useful for compounds such as PCBs and chlorinated solvents (e.g. tetrachloroethylene), and in water-saturated zones.

• Principle

  Biological treatment, whether of excavated soil or in-situ soil, involves using micro-organisms to transform toxic chemicals into less toxic substances. Most of the micro-organisms used in anaerobic treatment are bacteria. For general information on the degradation mechanism of micro-organisms, please refer...