Bacterial Degradation of the Xanthan Polymer, Enhanced Treatment of Heterogeneous Aquifers

Biotechnology is an important facet of subsurface microbiology and has an immense potential role in the design and implementation of successful and cost-effective treatment technologies. The goal of this research is to investigate the biodegradation of water soluble polymers (xanthan gum) to improve the efficiency of current remediation efforts. The xanthan polymer is capable of overcoming local heterogeneities and improving the sweep efficiency through lower permeable strata. The xanthan polymer is composed of a cellulose backbone with linear trisaccharide chains that degrades to simple sugar units. The results of biodegradation studies of the xanthan polymer and an assessment of the potential for bioclogging will be presented.