Remediation of dissolved BTEX through surface application: A prototype field investigation
The feasibility of surface application for remediating monoaromatic hydrocarbons (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes--termed BTEX as a group) dissolved in ground water under field conditions was investigated at a sit within Canadian Forces Base, Borden, Ontario. The surface area was 25 m{sup 2} and underlain by 3 to 3.5 m of unsaturated sandy soil. For periods of at least 216 hours, between 43 and 72 cm/d of water containing BTEX at concentrations that averaged between 8 and 11 mg/L were continuously applied by drip irrigation. Nitrogen was added to the soil as a nutrient for the final third of the investigation. Before the applied water reached the water table, BTEX mass losses ranged from 65 to essentially 100 percent. Less than 6 percent of the BTEX mass losses could be attributed to volatilization from the unsaturated soil. The remaining BTEX mass losses were attributed to biodegradation, mostly in the top 50 cm of the soil, which contained more organic nitrogen and organic carbon than the deeper soil. Biodegradation rates increased with applied concentration, nitrogen addition, and exposure to BTEX. Benzene concentrations in ground water attained compliance with Canadian and American drinking water standards only after nitrogen application.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- OSTI ID:
- 153481
- Journal Information:
- Ground Water Monitoring and Remediation, Vol. 15, Issue 4; Other Information: PBD: Fal 1995
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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