Control of petroleum-hydrocarbon contaminated groundwater by intrinsicand enhanced bioremediation
Ku-Fan Chen , Chih-Ming Kao , Chiu-Wen Chen , Rao Y. Surampalli , Mu-Sheng Lee
DOI:
Received October 02, 2009,Revised December 24, 2009, Accepted , Available online
Volume 22,2010,Pages 864-871
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In the first phase of this study, the e ectiveness of intrinsic bioremediation on the containment of petroleum hydrocarbons was
evaluated at a gasoline spill site. Evidences of the occurrence of intrinsic bioremediation within the BTEX (benzene, toluene,
ethylbenzene, and xylenes) plume included (1) decreased BTEX concentrations; (2) depletion of dissolved oxygen (DO), nitrate,
and sulfate; (3) production of dissolved ferrous iron, methane, and CO2; (4) deceased pH and redox potential; and (5) increased
methanogens, total heterotrophs, and total anaerobes, especially within the highly contaminated areas. In the second phase of this study,
enhanced aerobic bioremediation process was applied at site to enhance the BTEX decay rates. Air was injected into the subsurface
near the mid-plume area to biostimulate the naturally occurring microorganisms for BTEX biodegradation. Field results showed that
enhanced bioremediation process caused the change of BTEX removal mechanisms from anaerobic biodegradation inside the plume
to aerobic biodegradation. This variation could be confirmed by the following field observations inside the plume due to the enhanced
aerobic bioremediation process: (1) increased in DO, CO2, redox potential, nitrate, and sulfate, (2) decreased in dissolved ferrous iron,
sulfide, and methane, (3) increased total heterotrophs and decreased total anaerobes. Field results also showed that the percentage
of total BTEX removal increased from 92% to 99%, and the calculated total BTEX first-order natural attenuation rates increased
from 0.0092% to 0.0188% per day, respectively, after the application of enhanced bioremediation system from the spill area to the
downgradient area (located approximately 300 m from the source area).
