ABSTRACT
A bioaugmentation (addition of microorganisms) remediation strategy has been evaluated for atrazine in laboratory and field-scale experiments. Bacteria capable of degrading atrazine were isolated from the field site and characterized. Testing of the probable field strategy using large-scale columns under aerobic conditions showed bacteria in the pesticide-contaminated groundwater were capable of degrading atrazine at zero order rates of 240–400 µg L−1 day−1 or t 1/2 = 0.34 days. The field trial, at the leading edge of the plume, using a semi-passive oxygen delivery system combined with bioaugmentation of atrazine-degrading bacteria isolated from near the source of contamination is on-going and results are continuing to be interpreted.
