Bioremediation of chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbon-contaminated aquifers can be hindered by high contaminant concentrations and acids generated during remediation. Encapsulating microbes in hydrogels may provide a protective, tunable environment from inhibiting compounds; however, current approaches to formulate successful encapsulated systems rely on trial and error rather than engineering approaches because fundamental information on mass-transfer coefficients is lacking. To address this knowledge gap, hydronium ion mass-transfer rates through two commonly used hydrogel materials, poly(vinyl alcohol) and alginic acid, under two solidification methods (chemical and cryogenic) were measured. Read more »