A ground-water tracer test with deuterated compounds for monitoring in situ biodegradation and retardation of aromatic hydrocarbons

Journal Article · Mon May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1995 · Ground Water

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-6584.1995.tb00303.x· OSTI ID:46027

Thierrin, J ^[1]; Davis, G B; Barber, C ^[2]

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1. Univ. of Neuchatel (Switzerland). Centre for Hydrogeology
2. CSIRO, Wembley (Australia). Div. of Water Resources

Fully deuterated benzene, toluene, p-xylene, and naphthalene were used with bromide (inert reference) as ground-water and pollutants tracers inside a BTEX contaminated plume of anoxic ground water in the Swan coastal plain, Western Australia. Besides the determination of local aquifer parameters and retardation coefficients for several organic pollutants within the contaminated site, this natural gradient ground-water tracer test shows that deuterated organic compounds can be successfully used for in situ determination of natural biodegradation rates of organic pollutants. It suggests that toluene, p-xylene, and naphthalene, but not benzene, degrade under sulfate-reducing conditions.

• OSTI ID: 46027
• Journal Information: Ground Water, Journal Name: Ground Water Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 33; ISSN GRWAAP; ISSN 0017-467X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AUSTRALIA
BENZENE
BIODEGRADATION
DEUTERIUM
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
GROUND WATER
IN-SITU PROCESSING
NAPHTHALENE
REMEDIAL ACTION
TOLUENE
TRACER TECHNIQUES
WATER RECLAMATION
XYLENES