Adding a common mineral, pyrite, to an electrochemical system can simultaneously remove organic and heavy metal contaminants from groundwater, according to a study funded in part by the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP). Led by Akram Alshawabkeh, Ph.D., researchers at the Northeastern University SRP Center found that combining two types of remediation techniques – one that relies on applying an electrical current to destroy contaminants and one that uses minerals to adsorb contaminants – removed pollutants more effectively than either strategy alone.