Chlorinated Ethanes

Novorem has exclusive rights to supply the first 1,2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCA) degrading culture ever produced in Australia. AusDCA was enriched from groundwater extracted from the Botany Sand Aquifer in 2008 and trialled successfully south of the Botany Industrial Park in 2011. The culture is well characterised with respect to 1,2-DCA reduction rates, solvent tolerance, pH tolerance and microbial community composition. The bacterium responsible for the catalytic activity belongs to the Desulfitobacterium genus. Information regarding its longevity in groundwater and movement through sandy subsurface matrices is also available.

1,2-DCA is well known for its ability to resist reduction by zero valent iron (ZVI), so if this is a contaminant of concern, AusDCA may offer a solution – with published evidence suggesting bioaugmentation with organochlorine-respiring bacteria (ORB) can add functionality to existing reactive iron barriers (RIB).