Microbiology of chloroethene degradation in groundwater

Industrial development, population growth and urbanisation have all contributed to an increase in the release of chemical pollutants into the environment. Consequently, many natural resources show some degree of anthropogenic impact, including the widespread contamination of groundwater aquifers by hazardous wastes1. This is particularly significant because groundwater represents about 98% of the available freshwater on the planet. The fact that we are already using approximately 50% of readily available freshwater makes groundwater protection and clean-up of paramount importance. Increasing incidences of aquifer contamination by chloroethene solvents is of current concern throughout Australia. Further, due to the adverse effects of chloroethene contaminants to environmental and human well-being, it is of upmost importance to understand the potential for the natural microbial population within the groundwater to degrade the chloroethene to innocuous byproducts.