Differences of microorganisms in groundwater between sand and PRB under DCB pollution or not.

Study on the differences in microbial communities in porous media (sand) and permeable reactive barriers in groundwater under polluted and unpolluted conditions. Microbial community analysis revealed significant differences (p = 0.001) among uncontaminated sand, uncontaminated PRB, contaminated sand, and contaminated PRB samples. In the contaminated environments, bacterial genera such as Arthrobacter and Massilia, which can tolerate and metabolize chlorinated aromatics, were enriched. In the contaminated PRB, biochar-supported bacteria including Cellvibrio, Flavobacterium, and Paenibacillus, known for their capacity to utilize biochar and degrade chlorinated compounds, were also enriched. These microbial populations are likely to have contributed to the observed biodegradation of DCB.