Abstract
Rusted iron could retain activity to redox-sensitive pollutants in batch reactor. Flow-through columns packed with permeable reactive iron filings (Fe$^{0}$ ) between soil and sand layers were used to evaluate the applicability of bio-enhanced iron barriers to treat explosives-contaminated groundwater. One column was bioaugmented with municipal anaerobic sludge to evaluate the enhancement of biodegradation. Military contaminants (RDX, HMX, TNT, 2,4DNT, 2,6DNT), which coexist in soils at military sites, were completely removed in the bioaugmented Fe$^{0}$ layer after 8 months of operation. Overall, this research suggests that Fe$^{0}$ barriers can effectively clean up groundwater contaminated with military explosives, and that treatment efficiency can be enhanced by bioaugmentation.