Bioremediation: A Conceptual

Overview with Examples

Richard E. Woodward
Senior Scientist, Environmental Services
Litigation Support
Houston, TX

A brown bag seminar for

J. Connor Consulting, Inc.

16225 Park Ten Place, Suite 700
Houston, Texas 77084
Objectives
■ Define bioremediation
■ Position bioremediation in the scheme of remedial
actions
 Physical > Chemical > Biological
■ List seminal concepts of bioremediation
 Source control
 Von Liebig’s Law of the minimum
■ Give three examples of implementation
 Pits, Ponds, and Lagoons: traditional wastewater approach
 In situ treatment: surge vs circulation
 Permeable reactive barrier in flow path
■ Define intrinsic bioremediation: Natural attenuation
Beyond the Scope

■ Health effects and toxicology

■ Site characterization, assessment and
delineation
■ Engineering design considerations
■ Specific regulatory requirements & issues
■ Detailed degradation reaction chemistry
■ Fate and transport
■ In situ chemical oxidation treatment
What is In Situ Bioremediation?
■ Optimization of site conditions to stimulate
microbes to biodegrade organic
contamination.
■ Delivery of substrates, nutrients and in
some cases microbes
■ Engineered delivery; extraction, injection,
circulation or permeable barriers
■ Generally refers to microbial activity but
technically phytoremediation is a subset of
bioremediation
When is in situ bioremediation
appropriate?
■ After the source is controlled.
■ For low concentrations of contamination.
■ For degradable, organic compounds.
■ For biologically compatible, subsurface
conditions.
■ For porous soils
 hydraulic conductivity suitable for injection and
redistribution of amendments.
In situ bioremediation is appropriate after
the source is controlled and receptors
protected.
Source Control
■ Limits variables
 Changes in contaminant concentrations and
other constituents
■ Limits toxicity
 Inhibition of biological activity
■ Enables progress monitoring, modeling and
mass balance
■ Reduces treatment time
Source Control Technologies
■ Physical processes
 Excavation and treatment or disposal
 Physical extraction
» Soil vapor extraction
» Dual phase, free product removal
 Physical barriers for containment & isolation
 Thermal treatment
 Hydraulic containment
■ Chemical Processes
 Chemical oxidation: hydrogen proxide, ozone,
Fenton’s reagent, persulfate, permanganate
Source Control Technologies
Free-Product Removal
Skimming Methods
■ Continuous belt separation
■ Spiral pump at the interface
■ Smart pumps

Multi-phase extraction
■ Two-Phase Extraction (TPE)
 Vapor and liquid extracted together
■ Dual-Phase Extraction (DPE)
 Gas and liquid extracted separately
Dual Phase Extracton System
Mobile Dual Phase Extraction
System
Chemical Oxidation
Remediation Technology Sequencing
*Application range (ppb of Total VOC's in
soil or groundwater)
Technology
10,000- 1,000- 500-
≥100,000 <500
100,000 10,000 1,000
Excavation/Disposal/Treatment X
In-Situ Thermal Desorption X
Biopile Treatment X
Soil Vapor Extraction/Thermal
X X
Oxidation
Chemical Oxidation X
Air Sparging X
Ex-Situ Groundwater Bioremediation X X
Bioventing X
In-Situ Groundwater Bioremediation X X
Granular Activated Carbon X
Monitored Natural Attenuation X
* Approximate ranges based on cost and progress.
Technology selection and sequence tends to be site-specific, depending on
hydrogeology, receptors, chemicals present, etc.
Classic approaches to in situ
bioremediation
■ Completely mixed liquor
 Traditional wastewater treatment
■ Surge production/injection
■ Circulation via flanking wells
■ Permeable reactive barriers
Liebig’s Law of the Minimum:
satisfying growth limiting factors
■ The yield potential of a crop is
like a barrel with staves of
unequal length.
■ The capacity of the barrel is
limited by the length of the
shortest stave (in this case,
nitrogen), and can only be
increased by lengthening that
stave.
■ When that stave is
lengthened, another one
becomes the limiting factor.
Bioremediation Limiting Factors

■ Biodegradable
■ Indigenous organisms
■ Augment w/cultured organisms
■ Optimize
 Electron acceptors
» O2, NO3, Mn+4 , FE+3 , SO4, CO2
 Supplemental carbon (e.g., propane)
 Nutrients (e.g., N, P, K)
 pH
 Reduce toxic factors
Pit, Pond, Lagoon Remediation
Like conventional
wastewater treatment
systems, remediation uses a
completely mixed and
aerated approach
Bioventing

■ Low injection/exhaust air flow rates

■ Aerates unsaturated zone
■ Treats unsaturated zone
■ Control water level
■ Vapor treatment usually not required
■ Passive systems - barometric pressure, wind
turbine ventilation
■ Active systems-blowers, compressors
 Subsurface ventilation

Courtesy Air Situ LLC, Houston, TX

Saturated zone bioremediation is
appropriate for porous soils with good
hydraulic conductivity
Surge delivery of nutrients &
amendments
Frontier Park Site – Standardized
Equipment
 Log10 [CONCENTRATION (ppb)]

10,000

10
100,000
1,000,000

1
100
1,000
n-96

p-96

c-96

ar-97

n-97

p-97

c-97

ar-98

n-98

p-98

c-98

ar-99
MW-090

n-99
EISB at Frontier Park Site:

p-99

c-99
BENZENE

ar-00

n-00

p-00
TERT-BUTYL ALCOHOL

c-00
MW-89 Progress Benzene and TBA

ar-01

n-01

p-01

c-01
Emerging Reactive Barrier Technologies
• Biostimulation by Oxygen Release: Vandenberg AFB, CA
• Bioaugmentation & sparging:
sparging Port Hueneme, CA
• Chemical Permeable Reactive Barrier: Sulfated Aluminum
Port Hueneme
Scaled-up Bio
Barrier

Winner of 2001 NGWA

Outstanding Project in Ground
Water Remediation Award
Port Hueneme
MTBE
Bio-Barrier

99.9% MTBE
reduction
66% lower O&M Costs
compared to
conventional Pump
&Treat systems
Natural Attenuation Processes

■ Non-destructive (mass conservative)


Adsorption (Kd=Koc *foc ) to organic fraction

Dispersion (advection & diffusion)

Volatilization (vapor pressure, Henry’s Law)

Dilution (recharge)

■ Destructive (mass reduction)


Intrinsic biodegradation

Abiotic chemical reactions
Monitored Natural Attenuation

■ Begins when active treatment yields diminishing

returns and monitoring efforts are reasonable
■ Characterized by reduction of contaminant
concentration, mass, toxicity or mobility
■ Monitor/model:
 Decreasing contaminant concentrations
 Physical, chemical, biological processes
Intrinsic Biodegradation Processes
Organics
CO2 Metabolic Products
Concentration

Fe(II) H2S CH4

N2

Aerobic Iron (III) Sulfate

Denitrification Methanogenesis
Respiration Reduction Reduction
Dominant Electron Acceptors
+100
pE (mV)

0 O2 NO3 - Fe(III) SO 4 2- CO2

-100

Source
Plume Migration/
Groundwater Flow
Fulfillment of Objectives
■ Define bioremediation
■ Position bioremediation in the scheme of remedial
actions
 Physical > Chemical > Biological
■ List seminal concepts of bioremediation
 Source control
 Von Liebig’s Law of the minimum
■ Give three examples of implementation
 Pits, Ponds, and Lagoons: traditional wastewater approach
 In situ treatment: surge vs circulation
 Permeable reactive barrier in flow path
■ Define intrinsic bioremediation: Natural attenuation
Discussion and Questions?