The Origin of Hexavalent Chromium as a Critical Parameter for Remediation of Contaminated Aquifers.

Two different cases of Cr(VI) contaminated ophiolitic aquifers are presented herein. The first is located at Vergina (Northern Greece), where the maximum Cr(VI) concentration measured was 64 μg/L, being one of the highest geogenic concentrations recorded globally in areas with similar geological background. The second case is located at Inofyta (Central Greece), a makeshift industrial area, where the maximum detected Cr(VI) concentration exceeds 10,000 μg/L, indicating clearly anthropogenic activities as the main source.

Groundwater Modeling and Remediation Scenarios of a Hexavalent Chromium Plume Released from an Industrial Site.

In recent years, high concentrations of hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] have been found in the groundwater system of the Asopos River Basin. This work focuses on a Cr(VI) plume detected in the industrial area of Inofyta, the most important contamination hot spot of the Asopos River Basin. A groundwater flow and Cr(VI) transport model was developed to assess the behaviour of the plume and investigate the location of a suspected nearby source zone.

Origin and concentration profile of chromium in a Greek aquifer.

In this paper the origin and concentration of chromium (Cr) in an ophiolitic aquifer in Vergina, northern Greece were investigated. The study area has only agricultural activity so that industrial Cr contamination was precluded. Soil sampling included topsoil and drillcore samples collected down to 98 m depth.

Dechlorinating ability of TCE-fed microcosms with different electron donors.

The main objective of the work presented herein is to assess the effect of different electron donors (butyric acid and methanol) on the dechlorinating activity of two microbial cultures where active methanogenic populations are present, in an effort to evaluate the importance of the electron donor selection process. The ability of each anaerobic culture to dechlorinate TCE, when enriched with either butyric acid or methanol, was verified based on the results of gas chromatography. In addition, the fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) and the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods gave positive results for the presence of Dehalococcoides spp.