The US Department of Energy's
Pacific Northwest Laboratory in
Richland, has recruited an army of
microorganisms to clean soils and
underground water tainted with
nitrate and carbon tetrachloride -
an industrial solvent that is a suspected carcinogen.
In this bioremediation process,
native bacteria which can be coaxed
into degrading contaminants are
energised. A food source, in this case
vinegar, spurs the microbes to eat
the carbon tetrachloride and other
contaminants. The scientists hope
to clean up in this manner a trillion
litres. of groundwater contaminated
with carbon tetrachloride.
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