Conductive magnetite nanoparticles accelerate the microbial reductive dechlorination of trichloroethene by promoting interspecies electron transfer processes.

Playing your part: Conductive magnetite nanoparticles accelerate the microbial reductive dechlorination of trichloroethene (TCE), an ubiquitous and toxic subsurface contaminant. The stimulatory effect most likely results from the nanoparticles promoting the establishment of interspecies electron transfer (IET) processes between non-dechlorinating and dechlorinating microorganisms.