Bacteria-powered filters clean herbicide pollution from groundwater cheaply
Mongelli A, Kruse JL, Carvalho T, Subirats J, Matamoros V
Phytoremediation
The weedkillers that run off farms and lawns can seep into the groundwater feeding local wells and streams, and this system shows a cheaper, lower-impact way to clean it up using living biofilms instead of energy-intensive carbon filters.
Two common weedkillers, mecoprop and dichlorprop, can end up in groundwater near farms and old landfills. Researchers tested a two-step system where bacteria growing on plastic beads and filter material eat these chemicals, breaking them down almost completely rather than just trapping them. The system worked best when there was plenty of oxygen for the bacteria, and it turned out to be much cheaper and gentler on the environment than the usual activated-carbon filters.
Key Findings
Removal rates reached 78% for mecoprop and 73% for dichlorprop in the better-performing treatment line, versus 47-51% in the other
Degradation was true mineralisation, not just conversion to other byproducts, and removal depended on dissolved oxygen levels rather than retention time (tested 10-25 hours)
Microbial communities dominated by Pseudomonadota with more phenoxyacid-degrading bacteria performed better, and life-cycle cost analysis showed much lower costs than granular activated carbon treatment
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists built a two-stage biological filter that uses bacteria to break down herbicide pollutants in groundwater, removing up to 78% of contaminants while costing far less than traditional carbon-filter treatment.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Nature-based solution for treating pesticide-contaminated groundwater: performance of a combined two-stage biofilm system.
Biological treatment represents an alternative to conventional adsorption technologies for the removal of pesticides from contaminated groundwater and landfill leachates. A pilot-scale treatment co...
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