SEDBARCAH - SEDiment bioBARriers for Chlorinated Aliphatic Hydrocarbons in groundwater reaching surface water

In the SEDBARCAH project the boundaries of the sediment zone as a barrier against the infiltration of Chlorinated Aliphatic Hydrocarbons (CAH) into surface water, and how this zone can be diverted into a sustainable and efficient (stimulated) biobarrier technology for protection of surface waters from groundwater contamination were investigated. The following tasks were completed: (i) determination of the role of the microbial community present in sediments in the biodegradation of groundwater pollutants infiltrating a riverbed; (ii) exploration of the boundary conditions and the possibility to increase and sustain removal activities in the sediment zone, and (iii) selection of tools to follow such removal activities in situ. Therefore a thorough study both in the field and in the laboratory of the physicochemical and microbial processes occurring in these sediments was performed and coupled to the CAH-degradation potential present in the sediment interface of the Zenne (Vilvoorde, Belgium) and the Bělá river (Pelhřimov, Czech Republic). The ultimate goal of SEDBARCAH was to define the potential of these (stimulated) sediment biobarriers as a groundwater remediation technology and a surface water pollution and risk prevention technology.