Evaluation of a subsurface oxygenation technique using colloidal gas aphron injections into packed column reactors

Technical Report · Fri Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 1991

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/10137545· OSTI ID:10137545

Wills, R A; Coles, P

Bioremediation may be a remedial technology capable of decontaminating subsurface environments. The objective of this research was to evaluate the use of colloidal gas aphron (CGA) injection, which is the injection of micrometer-size air bubbles in an aqueous surfactant solution, as a subsurface oxygenation technique to create optimal growth conditions for aerobic bacteria. Along with this, the capability of CGAs to act as a soil-washing agent and free organic components from a coal tar-contaminated matrix was examined. Injection of CGAs may be useful for remediation of underground coal gasification (UCG) sites. Because of this, bacteria and solid material from a UCG site located in northeastern Wyoming were used in this research. Colloidal gas aphrons were generated and pumped through packed column reactors (PCRS) containing post-burn core materials. For comparison, PCRs containing sand were also studied. Bacteria from this site were tested for their capability to degrade phenol, a major contaminant at the UCG site, and were also used to bioaugment the PCR systems. In this study we examined: (1) the effect of CGA injection on dissolved oxygen concentrations in the PCR effluents, (2) the effect of CGA, H{sub 2}O{sub 2}, and phenol injections on bacterial populations, (3) the stability and transport of CGAs over distance, and (4) CGA injection versus H{sub 2}O{sub 2} injection as an oxygenation technique.

• Research Organization: Western Research Inst., Laramie, WY (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: FC21-86MC11076
• OSTI ID: 10137545
• Report Number(s): DOE/MC/11076-3201; ON: DE93000240
• Resource Relation: Other Information: PBD: Nov 1991
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
IN-SITU GASIFICATION
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
SOILS
CONTAMINATION
BACTERIA
PHENOLS
BIODEGRADATION
REMEDIAL ACTION
FLUID INJECTION
SURFACTANTS
HYDROGEN PEROXIDE
CHEMICAL REACTORS
BENCH-SCALE EXPERIMENTS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
010900
540220
ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS
CHEMICALS MONITORING AND TRANSPORT