Natural restoration of ground water in UCG. [Underground coal gasification]

Journal Article · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1982 · In Situ; (United States)

OSTI ID:6612938

Humenick, M J; Britton, L N; Mattox, C F

Data collected after underground coal-gasification field tests indicated that the concentrations of organic contaminants in the ground water decrease with time, apparently due to two natural processes - adsorption and biological degradation. Batch isotherm tests of the adsorption mechanism showed that 1) low-molecular-weight phenolic materials (the most prevalent contaminants) are the least likely to be adsorbed from the ground water, while high-molecular-weight polynuclear aromatics (PNA) are adsorbed most easily, 2) the adsorptive affinity of a compound increases with alkylation and ring addition, 3) the adsorptive affinity of aromatic hydrocarbons decreases progressively with insertion of oxygen or sulfur in the ring, insertion of nitrogen in the ring, amination of the ring, and conversion to the phenolic derivative, 4) the adsorption characteristics for a Hanna coal and a Texas lignite are similar, and 5) filtration cannot be used in laboratory studies of PNA because of adsorption to the filter. Analyses of the microbial composition of ground water from a UCG test site in Texas suggested that in situ biodegradation of UCG contaminants can occur. Microbial degradation depends on the concentration of dissolved oxygen; for maximal growth of organisms of UCG products, a limited concentration of oxygen - similar to levels measured in the ground water - is preferable to totally aerobic or anaerobic conditions. These microaerobic conditions might take part in the nitrification and nitrate respiration-dependent processes during biodegradation.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Texas, Austin
• OSTI ID: 6612938
• Journal Information: In Situ; (United States), Journal Name: In Situ; (United States) Vol. 6:2; ISSN ISOMD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
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Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ADSORPTION
AROMATICS
BIODEGRADATION
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COAL GASIFICATION
CONTROL
DECOMPOSITION
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
FEDERAL REGION VI
GASIFICATION
GROUND WATER
GROWTH
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
IN-SITU GASIFICATION
IN-SITU PROCESSING
MICROORGANISMS
MOLECULAR WEIGHT
NONMETALS
NORTH AMERICA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHENOLS
POLLUTION
POLLUTION CONTROL
POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
PROCESSING
QUANTITY RATIO
SORPTION
TEXAS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
USA
WATER
WATER POLLUTION
WATER POLLUTION CONTROL