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LABORATORY AND FIELD RESULTS LINKING HIGH BULK CONDUCTIVITIES TO THE MICROBIAL DEGRADATION OF PETROLEUM HYDROCARBONS
Citation:
Werkema, D, E. Atekwana, E. Atekwana, J. W. Duris, S. Rossbach, J. Allen, AND W. Sauck. LABORATORY AND FIELD RESULTS LINKING HIGH BULK CONDUCTIVITIES TO THE MICROBIAL DEGRADATION OF PETROLEUM HYDROCARBONS. Presented at 2004 Symposium on the Applications of Geophysics to Environmental and Engineering Problems, Colorado Springs, CO, February 22-26, 2004.
Impact/Purpose:
Research is being conducted to improve and evaluate the resolution of the CR, EM, seismic, and GPR methods over complex geological formations (such as fractured geologies) and to evaluate the capability of these geophysical methods to delineate subsurface organic contaminants.
Description:
Diesel contaminated layer (i.e. 32-45 cm) was the most geoelectrically conductive and showed the peak microbial activity. Below the saturated zone microbial enhanced mineral weathering increases the ionic concentration of pore fluids, leading to increased bulk electrical conducitivity for the contaminated columns. The geoelectrically conductive zone is most likely due to biological activity and/or the resulting processes. Lab results are available to replicate field results.