9528939 Picardal This is an award to support preliminary work on biological processes for degradation of polychlorinated biphenyls. The investigator plans on developing appropriate analytical procedures, isolating cultures of organisms capable of biologically degrading these compounds and finally to conduct studies on the anaerobic dehalogenation capacity of sludges derived from treatment of domestic wastewater, sediments and soils. The proposal leading to this award was submitted in response to NSF 94-147, Research Planning Grants and Career Advancement Awards for Minority Scientists and Engineers. Results are expected to provide information that can be used in determining the feasibility of the process to be studied and the basis for a more comprehensive research project that would determine conditions and engineering design parameters for a biologically based process to remove polychlorinated biphenyls from contaminated soils and sediments and from sludges derived from treatment of municipal and industrial wastewater.
