Future directions will involve the development of agricultural land fertility by the
simultaneous removal of inorganic and organic pollutants. EK can be used in the
removal of chloride. The interference of chloride/hypochlorite on bacteria should be
avoided using biochar during bio-EK. Researchers are currently looking for a natural
adsorbent such as biochar with a high water capacity and self-redox behavior so it
can easily desorb or remove the toxic pollutants, alter microbial communities, and
reduce greenhouse gasses emissions in the agricultural field. The tailoring of biochar
with bio-EKs for soil remediation is environmentally benign, cost-effective, and
with promising potential for further research.
Acknowledgments I gratefully thank the Academy of Science and Innovative Research (AcSIR),
CSIR-Central Electrochemical Research Institute. CSIR-HRDG, New Delhi is gratefully acknowledged for the Senior Research Fellowship of Sivasankar Annamalai. The authors thank CSIR for
sponsoring this project under Sustainable Environmental Technology for Chemical and Allied
Industries (SETCA) – Project No: CSC 0113.
References
Acar YB, Alshawabkeh AN (1993) Principles of electrokinetic remediation. Environ Sci Technol
27:2638–2647
Acar YB, Alshawabkeh AN, Gales RJ (1993) Original contribution fundamentals of extracting
species from soils by electrokinetics. Waste Manag 13:141–151
Acar YB, Gale RJ, Alshawabkeh AN, Marks RE, Puppala S, Bricka M, Parker R (1995) Electrokinetic remediation: basics and technology status. J Hazard Mater 40:117–137
Ahn SC, Oh S-Y, Cha DK (2008) Enhanced reduction of nitrate by zero-valent iron at elevated
temperatures. J Hazard Mater 156:17–22
Alexander M (2000) Aging, bioavailability, and overestimation of risk from environmental pollutants. Environ Sci Technol 34:4259–4265
Alshawabkeh AN, Gale RJ, Ozsu-acar E, Bricka RM (1999a) Optimization of 2-D electrode
configuration for electrokinetic remediation. J Soil Contam 8:617–635
Alshawabkeh AN, Yeung AT, Bricka MR (1999b) Practical aspects of in-situ electrokinetic
extraction. J Environ Eng 125:27–35
Annamalai S, Santhanam M, Sundaram M, Curras MP (2014a) Electrokinetic remediation of
inorganic and organic pollutants in textile effluent contaminated agricultural soil. Chemosphere
117:673–678
Annamalai S, Santhanam M, Sundaram M, Subramanian K, Gopalan R (2014b) An electrokinetic
cell reactor and a method for removal of organic and inorganic contaminants from the dye
contaminated soil using the said reactor (Indian Patent No: 1984/DEL/2014)
Annamalai S, Selvaraj S, Selvaraj H, Santhanam M, Pazos M (2015) Electrokinetic remediation:
challenging and optimization of electrolyte for sulfate removal in textile effluent-contaminated
farming soil. RSC Adv 5:81052–81058
Annamalai S, Santhanam M, Sudanthiramoorthy S, Pandian K, Pazos M (2016) Greener technology
for organic reactive dye degradation in textile dye-contaminated field soil and in situ formation
of “electroactive species” at the anode by electrokinetics. RSC Adv 6:3552–3560
Baygents JC, Glynn JR, Albinger O, Biesemeyer BK, Ogden KL, Arnold RG (1998) Variation of
surface charge density in monoclonal bacterial populations: implications for transport through
porous media. Environ Sci Technol 32:1596–1603
8 Electro-bioremediation: An Advanced Remediation Technology for the. . .
207
simultaneous removal of inorganic and organic pollutants. EK can be used in the
removal of chloride. The interference of chloride/hypochlorite on bacteria should be
avoided using biochar during bio-EK. Researchers are currently looking for a natural
adsorbent such as biochar with a high water capacity and self-redox behavior so it
can easily desorb or remove the toxic pollutants, alter microbial communities, and
reduce greenhouse gasses emissions in the agricultural field. The tailoring of biochar
with bio-EKs for soil remediation is environmentally benign, cost-effective, and
with promising potential for further research.
Acknowledgments I gratefully thank the Academy of Science and Innovative Research (AcSIR),
CSIR-Central Electrochemical Research Institute. CSIR-HRDG, New Delhi is gratefully acknowledged for the Senior Research Fellowship of Sivasankar Annamalai. The authors thank CSIR for
sponsoring this project under Sustainable Environmental Technology for Chemical and Allied
Industries (SETCA) – Project No: CSC 0113.
References
Acar YB, Alshawabkeh AN (1993) Principles of electrokinetic remediation. Environ Sci Technol
27:2638–2647
Acar YB, Alshawabkeh AN, Gales RJ (1993) Original contribution fundamentals of extracting
species from soils by electrokinetics. Waste Manag 13:141–151
Acar YB, Gale RJ, Alshawabkeh AN, Marks RE, Puppala S, Bricka M, Parker R (1995) Electrokinetic remediation: basics and technology status. J Hazard Mater 40:117–137
Ahn SC, Oh S-Y, Cha DK (2008) Enhanced reduction of nitrate by zero-valent iron at elevated
temperatures. J Hazard Mater 156:17–22
Alexander M (2000) Aging, bioavailability, and overestimation of risk from environmental pollutants. Environ Sci Technol 34:4259–4265
Alshawabkeh AN, Gale RJ, Ozsu-acar E, Bricka RM (1999a) Optimization of 2-D electrode
configuration for electrokinetic remediation. J Soil Contam 8:617–635
Alshawabkeh AN, Yeung AT, Bricka MR (1999b) Practical aspects of in-situ electrokinetic
extraction. J Environ Eng 125:27–35
Annamalai S, Santhanam M, Sundaram M, Curras MP (2014a) Electrokinetic remediation of
inorganic and organic pollutants in textile effluent contaminated agricultural soil. Chemosphere
117:673–678
Annamalai S, Santhanam M, Sundaram M, Subramanian K, Gopalan R (2014b) An electrokinetic
cell reactor and a method for removal of organic and inorganic contaminants from the dye
contaminated soil using the said reactor (Indian Patent No: 1984/DEL/2014)
Annamalai S, Selvaraj S, Selvaraj H, Santhanam M, Pazos M (2015) Electrokinetic remediation:
challenging and optimization of electrolyte for sulfate removal in textile effluent-contaminated
farming soil. RSC Adv 5:81052–81058
Annamalai S, Santhanam M, Sudanthiramoorthy S, Pandian K, Pazos M (2016) Greener technology
for organic reactive dye degradation in textile dye-contaminated field soil and in situ formation
of “electroactive species” at the anode by electrokinetics. RSC Adv 6:3552–3560
Baygents JC, Glynn JR, Albinger O, Biesemeyer BK, Ogden KL, Arnold RG (1998) Variation of
surface charge density in monoclonal bacterial populations: implications for transport through
porous media. Environ Sci Technol 32:1596–1603
8 Electro-bioremediation: An Advanced Remediation Technology for the. . .
207