Objective Polluted groundwater in urban and industrial areas often represents a continuous source of (diffuse) contamination of surface waters. However, the fate of infiltrating groundwater pollutants might be influenced by the sediment in eutrophic water bodies. Such sediments form an interface between groundwater and surface water and possesses characteristic biological and physico-chemical degradation properties. Knowledge on natural attenuation of passing pollutants and the potential to stimulate and sustain occurring degradation processes are however scarce or non-existent. This is especially due to the lack of appropriate monitoring devices and tools to measure in situ mass balances of pollutants and reactants. In the SEDBARCAH project, we want to investigate the boundaries of the sediment zone as a barrier against the infiltration of chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons (CAH) into surface water and how we can turn this zone into a sustainable and efficient (stimulated) biobarrier technology for protection of surface waters from groundwater contamination. We will (i) determine the role of the microbial community present in sediments in the biodegradation of groundwater pollutants infiltrating a river bed; (ii) explore the boundary conditions and the possibility to increase and sustain removal activities in the sediment zone and (iii) select tools to follow such removal activities in situ. Therefore, a thorough investigation both in the field and in the laboratory of the physico-chemical and microbial processes occurring in these sediments will be performed and coupled to the CAH-degradation potential present in the sediment interface of two selected contaminated areas. In addition, methodologies to increase this degradation will be examined. The final goal of SEDBARCAH is to investigate the potentials of these (stimulated) sediment biobarriers as a groundwater remediation technology and a surface water pollution and risk prevention technology. Fields of science natural scienceschemical sciencesorganic chemistryhydrocarbonsnatural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesenvironmental sciencespollution Keywords Sediment-monitoring-bioremediation-microbial and physicochemical characterisation Programme(s) FP6-SUSTDEV - Sustainable Development, Global Change and Ecosystems: thematic priority 6 under the Focusing and Integrating Community Research programme 2002-2006. Topic(s) SUSTDEV-2004-3.II.2.2.b - Soil-groundwater protection and rehabilitation Call for proposal FP6-2003-GLOBAL-2 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme STREP - Specific Targeted Research Project Coordinator VLAAMSE INSTELLING VOOR TECHNOLOGISCH ONDERZOEK EU contribution No data Address Boeretang 200 MOL Belgium See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data Participants (7) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all KATHOLIEKE UNIVERSITEIT LEUVEN Belgium EU contribution No data Address Oude Markt 13 LEUVEN See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data AQUATEST A.S. Czechia EU contribution No data Address Geologicka 4 PRAHA 5 See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data GSF - FORSCHUNGSZENTRUM FUER UMWELT UND GESUNDHEIT GMBH Germany EU contribution No data Address Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1 NEUHERBERG See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data CONSULTING UND ENGINEERING GMBH Germany EU contribution No data Address Jagdschaenkenstrasse 52 CHEMNITZ See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data UMWELT- UND INGENIEURTECHNIK GMBH DRESDEN Germany EU contribution No data Address Zum Windkanal 21 DRESDEN See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data EUROFINS-AUA GMBH Germany EU contribution No data Address Loebstedter Strasse 78 JENA See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data WAGENINGEN UNIVERSITEIT. Netherlands EU contribution No data Address Costerweg 50 Postbus 9101 WAGENINGEN See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data
