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INNOVATIVE PROCESS FOR RECLAMATION OF CONTAMINATED SUBSURFACE ENVIRONMENTS
Citation:
Canter, L., L. Streebin, M. Arquiaga, F. Carranza, D. Miller, AND B. Wilson. INNOVATIVE PROCESS FOR RECLAMATION OF CONTAMINATED SUBSURFACE ENVIRONMENTS. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/2-90/017.
Description:
Research to better assess the capabilities and limitations of fixed-film bioreactors for removing selected organic contaminants from ground water or from contaminated vapor streams produced by air stripping of polluted ground water and by soil venting operations is described. ork was focused on volatile, chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons and light aromatic constituents of distilled petroleum products, two groups of compounds which have been identified in polluted ground water more frequently and usually in higher concentration than other organic pollutants. aboratory scale fixed-film bioreactors containing soil or diatomaceous earth materials were employed to study the cometabolic removal of tri- hloroethylene and related compounds from aqueous and vapor stream by biofilms sustained by primary substrates consisting of gaseous aliphatic hydrocarbons; the removal of alkylbenzenes from air was streams by biofilmc utilizing these compounds as primary substrate examined in laborator) scale soil bioreactors. he biodegradation processes involved and th? effects of bioreactor operating parameters and systems configurations or contaminant removal were eval-luated. Results obtained indicate a significant potential for employment of fixed-film bioreactors in systems for above ground treatment of contaminated ground water and vadose zone gases.