Organic biofilm substrata as a microbial inoculum delivery vehicle for bioaugmentation of persistent organic pollutants in contaminated sediments and soils

A method of treating a persistent organic pollutant (POP)-containing environment comprising soil or sediment, the method comprising administration of a system to the POP-containing environment, the system comprising:

• an inert substratum effective to adsorb hydrophobic POPs from the soil or sediment, said substratum comprising granular activated carbon;
• and
• a biofilm on the substratum, wherein the biofilm comprises an active inoculum, the active inoculum comprises dehalorespiring bacteria or PCB oxidizing bacteria, wherein POPs comprise PCBs, and wherein the system is effective to at least partially reduce the concentration of PCBs in the environment.

A method of degrading persistent organic pollutants (POPs), in a locus containing the same, the method comprising introducing to said locus a biofilm comprising an active inoculum supported on a substratum comprising granular activated carbon, wherein the locus comprises soil or sediment, wherein POPs comprise PCBs, and the active inoculum comprises dehalorespiring bacteria or PCB oxidizing bacteria, and wherein the system is effective to degrade the POPs and/or making them more subject to degradation.

A method of bioaugmenting an aerobic degradation system, the method comprising administering to the aerobic degradation system an anaerobic dechlorination system in an environment comprising soil or sediment containing POPs, the anaerobic dechlorination system comprising:

• an inert substratum effective to adsorb hydrophobic POPs from soil or sediment;
• and
• a biofilm on the substratum, wherein the biofilm comprises an active inoculum, wherein POPs comprise PCBs, and the active inoculum comprises dehalorespiring bacteria or PCB oxidizing bacteria capable of selectively degrading PCBs.