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Diagnosing Abiotic Degradation
Citation:
WILSON, J. T. Diagnosing Abiotic Degradation. Presented at Diagnostic Tools for Contaminant Remediation, Partners in Environmental Technology, Technical Symposium and Workshop, Washington, DC, December 05, 2007.
Impact/Purpose:
Present information at the Diagnostic Tools for Contaminant Remediation, Partners in Environmental Technology, Technical Symposium & Workshop
Description:
The abiotic degradation of chlorinated solvents in ground water can be difficult to diagnose. Under current practice, most of the “evidence” is negative; specifically the apparent disappearance of chlorinated solvents with an accumulation of vinyl chloride, ethane, ethylene, or acetylene. A better approach is to associate abiotic degradation with adequate quantities of an active iron mineral such as iron(II) sulfide or magnetite. Iron(II) sulfide can be estimated in sediment as acid volatile sulfide and magnetite can be recognized from the magnetic susceptibility of the sediment. John Wilson is a senior research microbiologist with the United States Environmental Protection Agency. He has a B.S. in Biology from Baylor University, an M.A. in Microbiology from the University of California at Berkeley, and a Ph.D. in Microbiology from Cornell University. Dr. Wilson developed the approach used by U.S. EPA to evaluate Monitored Natural Attenuation of hazardous organic compounds in ground water. He has published extensively on the natural biodegradation of chlorinated solvents, BTEX compounds, and fuel oxygenates in ground water.