Development of a multi-level protocol for determination of biodegradation kinetics and bioavailability of organic compounds to enhance in-situ bioremediation
- Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, OH (United States)
- Univ. of Cincinnati, OH (United States); and others
Knowledge of biodegradation kinetics in soil is needed to understand the efficacy of in-situ and ex-situ bioremediation technologies. Laboratory studies to determine biodegradation rates can be used as screening tests to determine the rate and extent of bioremediation that might be attained during remediation, and to provide design criteria. Traditionally, in-situ biodegradation kinetics have been determined using soil microcosms which are difficult to model mathematically. Laboratory studies involving soil slurry reactors have been reported by Bachmann et al. Kaplan and Kaplan, Milhelcic and Luthy and Brunner et al.. Currently there is no systematic methodology to quantitatively determine biodegradation kinetics of contaminants in compacted soil systems. Biodegradation in soil is a fairly complex process which involves diffusion of contaminants in the porous soil matrix, adsorption to the soil surface, biodegradation in the biofilms existing on the soil particle surface and in the large pores as well as in the bound and free water phase after desorption from the soil surface. In soil slurry reactors, biodegradation of contaminant occurs both in the liquid phase by soil microorganisms desorbed from the soil matrix and by the biofilms immobilized on the soil particle surface. In compacted soil systems, biodegradation occurs in the free and bound water phase primarily by the soil immobilized microorganisms and the contribution of water suspended microbiota, is small due to low water content. In this paper a systematic protocol based on three types of bioreactors and one representative contaminant, phenol, has been developed to determine the biokinetic parameters of the suspended and immobilized microbiota and the transport parameters of contaminant and oxygen in the soil matrix.
- OSTI ID:
- 111471
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9504110--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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