Bioclogging can be induced by in situ accumulation of biopolymer produced by
bacteria in soils. The bioclogging can be achieved either by bioaugmentation or
biostimulation strategies. A preliminary study was conducted to examine the feasibility
of bioaugmentation and biostimulation methods to induce fermentation-base
bioclogging effect in sands. In experiments, the model bacterium, Leuconostoc
mesenteroides, and a consortium of indigenous soil bacteria from an embankment
were examined for bioaugmentation and biostimulation, respectively, where in situ
production of bacterial biopolymer through microbial fermentation was stimulated while
monitoring reduction in hydraulic conductivity of sands for more than 40 days. The
results revealed that both strategies can reduce the hydraulic conductivity of sands by
1−2 orders of magnitude. It was concluded that a biostimulation method using sucroserich growth media was applicable to induce fermentation-base bioclogging in the
embankment site that the soil bacteria were sampled.