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Title: Dynamics of Coupled Contaminant and Microbial Transport in Heterogeneous Porous Media: Purdue Component

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/765221· OSTI ID:765221

Dynamic microbial attachment/detachment occurs in subsurface systems in response to changing environmental conditions caused by contaminant movement and degradation. Understanding the environmental conditions and mechanisms by which anaerobic bacteria partition between aqueous and solid phases is a critical requirement for designing and evaluating in situ bioremediation efforts. This interdisciplinary research project, of which we report only the Purdue contribution, provides fundamental information on the attachment/detachment dynamics of bacteria in heterogeneous porous media. Fundamental results from the Purdue collaboration are: (a) development of a matched-index method for obtaining 3-D Lagrangian trajectories of microbial sized particles transporting within porous media or microflow cells, (b) application of advanced numerical methods to optimally design a microflow cell for studying anaerobic bacterial attachment/detachment phenomena, (c) development of two types of models for simulating bacterial movement and attachment/detachment in microflow cells and natural porous media, (d) application of stochastic analysis to upscale pore scale microbial attachment/detachment models to natural heterogeneous porous media, and (e) evaluation of the role nonlocality plays in microbial dynamics in heterogeneous porous media.

Research Organization:
USDOE Idaho Operations Office, Idaho Falls, ID (US); Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN (US)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Research (ER) (US)
DOE Contract Number:
FG07-97ER62354
OSTI ID:
765221
Report Number(s):
DOE/ER/62354; TRN: US0200948
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Supercedes report DE00765221; PBD: 1 Jun 2000; PBD: 1 Jun 2000
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English