Design of physical-biological biochar filters for groundwater remediation with a focus on biofilm development

The project CHARBAK deals with the development of physical-biological biochar filters for groundwater remediation. The primary focus is on the controlled establishment of ideal conditions for retention and biodegradation of contaminants in the biochar filter. The target compounds comprise of chlorinated hydrocarbons (tetrachloroethene and its degradation products) as well as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with the example of naphthalene. The process of development involves the initial production and characterization of biochars adsorbing the target compounds and being colonized by compound degrading biofilms. Tracer experiments combined with monitoring of the organic compounds and isotope analysis will be conducted to distinguish between sorption and degradation processes in laboratory batch and column experiments.