ABSTRACT
Bacteria and biological methods are having a large impact on the soils and groundwater areas. To truly understand a contaminated ground water, and the methods that must be used to clean it up, we must understand the environment in which the contamination occurs. Contaminants do not move through the soil and aquifer at the same rate that the water moves through the contaminated areas. Natural bacteria will degrade the organic compounds found in the soils and aquifer. Due to limitations caused by the lack of nutrients and oxygen, the reaction rate of this natural degradation is slow. The bacteria are present along with the organics in the contamination zone. The main design criteria is movement of the water to the zone, and control of the water after it passes through the zone so that it does not create a secondary plume. Bacteria have also been applied to remediation in aboveground reactors.
