The report summarizes the behavior of and requisite conditions for a class of natural biological processes that can transform chlorinated aliphatic compounds. These compounds are among the most prevalent hazardous chemical contaminants found in municipal and industrial wastewaters, landfills and landfill leachates, industrial disposal sites, and groundwater. Biological degradation is one approach that has the potential for destroying hazardous chemicals so that they can be rendered harmless for all time. Methodologies are presented that are useful for evaluating the potential for biorestoration of groundwater contaminated with chlorinated aliphatic compounds. Section 1 provides an introduction and an overview of the problems with chlorinated aliphatic compounds in groundwater. Section 2 presents a review of the processes affecting the movement and fate of chlorinated aliphatics in the subsurface, including advection, dispersion, sorption and relative mobility, diffusional transport, and immiscible transport. Methodologies and results are presented for evaluating the presence of a native methantrophic community and its ability to degrade the contaminants of concern; determining the sorption of contaminants to the aquifer material; and preliminary designing of an in-situ treatment approach using the model previously described.

"Cooperative agreement EPA CR 815816." "Project officers: Wayne C. Downs and Stephen G. Schmelling." "EPA/600/R-92/042." "March 1992." Includes bibliographical references (p. 73-85).