Determination of the rate-limiting process for bioventing
- Univ. de Malaga (Spain). Dept. de Ingenieria Quimica
- Vanderbilt Univ., Nashville, TN (United States). Dept. of Chemistry
Vadose zone remediation by bioventing may be rate limited by biological activity or mass transfer processes affecting the stripping of the contaminant and the supply of oxygen from the gaseous to the aqueous phase. Knowledge of the rate coefficients for both processes is required for sound design and operation of bioventing systems. The rapid in situ respiration test presented by Hinchee and Ong (1992), together with the model presented here, can be used for the estimation of both kinetic parameters. These results indicate that oxygen supply to the aqueous phase may be, in some cases, the rate-limiting step for biodegradation. Equivalent aqueous diffusion lengths calculated from the mass transfer coefficients obtained are relatively small, in the range of few millimeters. The model can be used for decision making for bioventing optimization. In the present model hydrocarbons and biodegradable solvents spilled in the vadose zone are considered to be basically in three phases: gaseous, aqueous, and nonaqueous phase liquid.
- OSTI ID:
- 467754
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-950483--; ISBN 1-57477-003-9
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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