Assessment of Toluene Biodegradation Activity in Groundwater from a Shallow Bedrock Aquifer Underlying a Phytoremediation System

Researchers have been striving to understand and model environmental groundwater remediation to facilitate case-specific decision-making and optimize remediation. This has proven difficult due to the highly site-specific nature of the processes affecting contamination fate and transport in natural environments. This study aims to contribute to the science for decision-making processes and improve our understanding of the role of microbes in groundwater remediation. To achieve this, depth-discrete samples were obtained over three seasons from a toluene-contaminated, shallow, fractured bedrock aquifer underlying a phytoremediation system in Southwestern Ontario. Quantitative PCR was used to quantify abundance and potential activity of aerobic and anaerobic toluene degrading communities in groundwater. Active aerobic and anaerobic toluene degraders were present across the Site in all sampling events. Abundance and activity shifts were associated with both season and redox conditions, but not statistically by toluene concentration. ; Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada