Transport and fate of bacteria through porous medium: a review

Groundwater contamination due to the presence of pathogenic bacteria may pose a threat to community well-being and could lead to outbreaks of waterborne diseases. These bacteria can move from their accidental/anthropogenic release point to groundwater through infiltered rainwater and contaminate the aquifer. On the other hand, the efficient transportation of bacteria through the sub-surface medium increases the possibility of successful bioaugmentation. Therefore, understanding the fate and mechanism of transport of bacteria through the sub-surface medium is important in the context of both groundwater risk assessment and bioremediation. This review summarizes the various studies conducted on bacterial transportation and which demonstrate the usefulness of both experimental and theoretical approaches. The review addresses the complex interactions between a porous medium and the mechanisms of bacterial transport through experimental as well as modelling approaches.