Keeping Toxic PCBs Out of Our Air Using Two Unlikely Heroes: Bacteria and Biochar

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a type of chemical with no natural sources that were used in oils, paints, and electrical transformers in the mid-20th century; however, they were banned because they cause lots of health issues, including cancer. PCBs are known as “forever chemicals” because they are strongly attracted to soils and sediments, where improperly disposed PCBs have remained for decades. PCBs are being slowly released into the air and have spread all over the world. Cleaning up PCBs in the environment is difficult and expensive. Usual methods involve removing contaminated soil or sediment and placing it into a landfill or incinerating it, which releases more PCBs into the air. My research aims to find a better treatment method using bacteria to break down PCBs at contaminated sites, a method known as bioremediation. This method is promising because it allows us to clean up PCBs in a safer and more cost-effective way while protecting nearby communities from further PCB exposure. I am now working on the problem of how to protect and deliver bacteria into the environment, which I will solve by attaching the bacteria to the surface of biochar made from corn kernels. Biochar combined with bacteria is the perfect one-two punch because the biochar can attract PCBs like a magnet while protecting the bacteria as they break down PCBs. In addition, effective communication methods are needed to inform the public about the dangers of PCBs and to increase support for research and new methods to protect people from PCBs, which is the main purpose of this comic. In this context, a comic book is an excellent medium for communicating the story of this research to people outside of academia in a way that is easy for all ages and educational levels to understand.