Grantee Research Project Results
Bioavailability and Biostabilization of PCBs in Soil
EPA Grant Number: R825365Title: Bioavailability and Biostabilization of PCBs in Soil
Investigators: Luthy, Richard G.
Current Investigators: Luthy, Richard G. , Dzombak, David A. , McNamara, Sean W.
Institution: Carnegie Mellon University
EPA Project Officer: Aja, Hayley
Project Period: January 1, 1997 through December 31, 1999
Project Amount: $499,056
RFA: DOE/EPA/NSF/ONR Joint Program on Bioremediation (1996) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Hazardous Waste/Remediation , Land and Waste Management
Description:
The research will develop an understanding of the relationship between the bioavailability and biostabilization of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in aged soils that have undergone active land biotreatment, but which still show a residual concentration. The goal is to advance scientific knowledge for improved estimates of the potential for release of residual PCB congeners, including the concept of biostabilization which envisions that contaminated materials can be actively biotreated to remove a large fraction of the potentially mobile and bioavailable organic contaminants. The key questions to be addressed are: For aged soils that have undergone active land biotreatment, what is the rate of release of residual PCBs? What are the rates of intrinsic biodegradation for residual PCBs and, what are the implications of these factors for environmentally acceptable endpoints and risks for residual PCBs?
This research builds on prior collaborative studies between Carnegie Mellon University and the Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa) on land biotreatment of soil/sludge mixtures contaminated with PCBs and hydraulic oils. The research will take advantage of the significant investment in developing a field site to assess the biodegradation of PCBs in contaminated soil/sludge mixtures. The proposed work will: monitor the transformation and degradation of PCBs in land treatment units during passive operations following active biotreatment; assess the fluxes of water and oxygen in the land treatment units; assess the solubility and release rates of PCBs in the soil/sludge mixtures; develop appropriate models that can be used to identify the key physicochemical and microbial parameters governing the fate of the residual PCBs; and use these results for examining the risk implications of biostabilized PCB contaminants in soil.
The work emphasizes study of aged contaminant mixtures in a field test for which the sequestration of PCBs may render such compounds only slowly available to microorganisms or the environment. The impact of the research will be to link a rational model for bioavailability for aged samples with practical measurements relevant to bioremediation engineering practice. The research will assess the extent that biostabilization reduces risks and uncertainty in risk assessment. To the best of our knowledge, the results that will come from this work are available no where else in the world.
Publications and Presentations:
Publications have been submitted on this project: View all 7 publications for this projectJournal Articles:
Journal Articles have been submitted on this project: View all 3 journal articles for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
Vadose zone, bioremediation, cleanup, environmental chemistry, RFA, Scientific Discipline, Ecosystem Protection/Environmental Exposure & Risk, Waste, Water, Toxics, Remediation, Ecological Indicators, Engineering, Ecosystem Protection, chemical mixtures, Chemistry, Biology, HAPS, Environmental Chemistry, Ecosystem/Assessment/Indicators, Contaminated Sediments, exploratory research environmental biology, Ecological Effects - Environmental Exposure & Risk, Bioavailability, Ecological Effects - Human Health, Bioremediation, Chemical Mixtures - Environmental Exposure & Risk, contaminant transport, kinetic studies, bioremediation of soils, contaminated sediment, risk assessment, land biotreatment, biostabilization of PCBs, chemical contaminants, fate, biodegradation, environmentally acceptable endpoints, fate and transport, models, hydraulic oils, vadose zone, chemical transport, PCBs, physicochemical, contaminants in soil, contaminated soilsRelevant Websites:
http://www.ce.cmu.edu/~mcnamara/RESEARCH/overview.htm
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Progress and Final Reports:
The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.