A Modified Radial Diagram Approach for Evaluating Natural Attenuation Trends for Chlorinated Solvents and Inorganic Redox Indicators

Selection of monitored natural attenuation as a ground water remedy requires that sound scientific documentation clearly illustrating the effectiveness of this remedial alternative be presented to regulatory agencies and concerned citizens. An innovative radial diagram approach is applied to illustrate natural attenuation trends for total benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX) and chlorinated ethenes at a former fire training area at Pittsburgh Air Force Base, New York. A BTEX-CAH (chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons) radial diagram map shows that concentrations of site contaminants are generally decreasing along the primary flowpath downgradient from the source area. This radial diagram map also suggests that there is a spatial correlation between decreasing CAH parent compound concentrations and increasing or stable daughter product concentrations. This provides secondary evidence of intrinsic biodegradation of TCE downgradient from the source area. A SEQUENCE-Redox™ map suggests that there is a spatial correlation between trends in electron acceptor and metabolic byproduct concentrations, and the decline in total BTEX concentrations downgradient from the source area. This correlation provides secondary evidence for the intrinsic biodegradation of total BTEX in the aquifer. This study demonstrates that radial diagram visual aids can provide a clear and efficient approach for documenting natural attenuation lines of evidence, as an alternative or a complement to using multiple contour maps, tabulated data, or log-linear plots.     

Ground Water Remediation Using an Extraction, Treatment, and Recharge System

Ground water remediation of volatile organic compound (VOC) contamination at a site in Michigan was initiated as a result of a consent agreement between the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) and the responsible party. Under the direction of the MDNR, the responsible party conducted a remedial investigation/feasibility study using federal guidelines to define the extent of contamination at the site and to select a response action for site remediation. The selected alternative included a combination of ground water extraction, treatment, and recharge, and soil flushing. The extraction system withdraws ground water from various depths in heavily contaminated areas. The ground water is treated using an air stripper. A spray distribution system spreads effluent from the stripper over a recharge basin constructed over the most contaminated areas. Additional contaminant removal is achieved by volatilization from the spray and percolation through the gravel bed. Recharge water moves downward through the contaminated soils, thus flushing residual soil contaminants. The initial operating data demonstrated that the system can effectively remove trichloroethylene (TCE) from ground water (approximately 95 percent overall removal efficiency). The annualized capital and operation and maintenance (O & M) costs of the remedial action were estimated for several operating periods (15, 20, and 30 years).     

Hot Methanol Extraction for the Analysis of Volatile Organic Chemicals in Subsurface Core Samples from Dover Air Force Base, Delaware

The evaluation of contaminant concentrations in ground water and soil is an essential aspect of most hazardous waste remedial investigations. This paper describes methods applied toward obtaining, preserving, and analyzing subsurface samples for the determination of VOC concentrations in the saturated region of an unconfined coastal plain aquifer at Dover Air Force Base (DAFB). Delaware. The described protocol involved headspace-free subsampling of cores, field preservation of subsamples in methanol, and overnight extraction of the VOCs at elevated temperature (70°C). Methanol-extracted compounds were subsequently transferred to hexane and analyzed by gas chromatography. The method was found to achieve quantitative extraction from the aquifer sands in a single step, although extraction from fine-grained and more strongly sorbing aquitard samples required multiple methanol extractions to achieve comparable recovery. An extensive set of DAFB results is presented as an indication of how these methods can be applied toward characterizing field-scale contamination with a high degree of resolution and accuracy. These data have enabled a quantitative estimate of the contaminant distribution at this site and offer valuable insight into processes of contaminant migration into the underlying aquitard. In these regards, the methods used are believed to have provided much more accurate results than could have been obtained using more commonly applied techniques.     

Long-Term Ground Water Quality Impacts from the Use of Hexazinone for the Commercial Production of Lowbush Blueberries

Lowbush blueberries, native to eastern Canada and Maine, are an important economic crop in these areas. Herbicides containing the active ingredient hexazinone are commonly applied to blueberry fields, and there is a high frequency of detection of relatively low concentrations of hexazinone in domestic wells located close to areas of lowbush blueberry production. The objective of this study was to determine the long-term impacts from hexazinone-based herbicide use on ground water quality in the immediate growing areas.
Physical and chemical hydrogeologic data were collected for an outwash sand and gravel aquifer in southwestern New Brunswick, Canada. The majority of the land overlying the aquifer is devoted to lowbush blueberry production. Twenty-one nested monitoring wells were sampled for hexazinone and hexazinone metabolites over a four-year period. Hexazinone was consistently detected at values of 1 to 8 parts per billion (ppb) in all but two of these wells, one that is upgradient of herbicide applications, and one that is downgradient with anoxic conditions. Hexazinone metabolites B and A1 were also detected in all but two of the 21 wells at values ranging from 0.5 to 2.5 ppb. The hexazinone and metabolite data suggest both aerobic and anaerobic degradation of hexazinone. Complete degradation of hexazinone appears to occur only in the one downgradient well exhibiting anoxic ground water conditions. Concentrations of hexazinone and its metabolites in the ground water were essentially constant over the four-year period.     

DNAPL Flow Behavior in a Contaminated Aquifer: Evaluation of Field Data

A pool of dense nonaqueous phase liquid (DNAPI.) containing TCE and other chlorinated solvents has been removed from the subsurface at Hill Air Force Base, Uthah. as part of an interim remedial action. The removal of the DNAPI. pool means that future off-site migration of dissolved contaminants in the ground water is minimized, and costs for final remedial actions are reduced. A pump-and-treat system recovered more than 23.000) gallons of DNAPI. and one million gallons of contaminated ground water from the aquifer. The efficiency of this remedial action was evaluated on the basis of extensive field and laboratory data. The behavior of DNAPI. flow in the aquifer sands was characterized by collecting core samples from two borings in the DNAPL pool and measuring relative permeabilities and DMAPI. saturation. Core Hooding results show that approximately one-third of the DNAPI. originally in the pool is not recovered by water displacement, but remains as a residual saturation held in place by capillary pressure. However, subsequent Hooding with two pore volumes of surfactant solution reduced the residual DNAPI. saturation in the sand by one order of magnitude. Analytical and numerical models for the DNAPI flow behavior at the site were developed. This is the first time that such models have been developed and applied to an actual DNAPI. pumping lest conducted in the field. Because measured permeabilities and residual saturations were used lo calibrate the models. the model predictions could be used lo provide valuable insights into the controlling mechanisms for DNAPL recovery. The data collection and modeling procedures outlined in this paper can be used lo enhance the efficiency and minimize the cost 10 clean up this and other DNAPI.-contaminated sites.     

In Situ Abiotic Detoxification and Immobilization of Hexavalent Chromium

Detailed site characterization data from the former electroplating shop at the U.S. Coast Guard Air Support Center, Elizabeth City, North Carolina, suggested that the elevated Cr(VI) in the capillary fringe area had contaminated the ground water at the site. Most of the mobile Cr(VI) is present in the capillary fringe zone of the aquifer under an oxidizing environment. Current literature suggests that the reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) through in situ redox manipulation in the presence of a reductant is an innovative technique for remediating chromate-contaminated sediments and ground water. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of sodium dithionite in creating a reductive environment to remediate Cr(VI) present in soil. Sodium dithionite, a strong reductant, was injected into a small area of the vadose zone where elevated Cr(VI) was identified. Several striking changes observed in the target zone during the post-injection monitoring periods include a significant decrease in Eh(SHE), as much as ∼700 mV, absence of dissolved oxygen for 48 weeks, and the increase of Fe(II) concentrations. Results indicated that the in situ remedial treatment of Cr(VI) in the capillary fringe area was effective and consequently the concentration of Cr(VI) in ground water dropped below the MCLG level. This research demonstrated the effectiveness of in situ abiotic remediation by reducing Cr(VI) concentrations, mobility, and toxicity in soils and ground water within a short period of time. Therefore, sodium dithionite would be a feasible and cost-effective option for a full-scale remedial approach for the contaminated site at the U.S. Coast Guard Facility.     

Vertical Contaminant Profiling of Volatile Organic* in a Deep Fractured Basalt Aquifer

Volatile organic compounds delected in ground water from wells at Test Area North (TAN) at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) prompted RCRA facility investigations in 1989 and 1990 and a CERCLA-driven RI/FS in 1992. In order to address ground water treatment feasibility, one of the main objectives, of the 1992 remedial investigation was to determine the vertical extent of ground water contamination, where the principle contaminant, of concern is trichloroethylene (TCE). It was hypothesized that a sedimentary interbed at depth in the fractured basalt aquifer could be inhibiting vertical migration of contaminants to lower aquifers. Due to the high cost of drilling and installation of ground water monitoring wells at this facility (greater than $100,000 per well), a real time method was proposed for obtaining and analyzing ground water samples during drilling to allow accurate placement of well screens in zones of predicted VOC contamination. This method utilized an inflatable pump packer pressure transducer system interfaced with a datalogger and PC at land surface. This arrangement allowed for real lime monitoring of hydraulic head above and below the packer to detect leakage around the packer during pumping and enabled collection of head data during pumping for estimating hydrologic properties. Analytical results were obtained in about an hour from an on-site mobile laboratory equipped with a gas chromalograplvmass spectrometer (GC/MS). With the hydrologic and analytical results in hand, a decision was made to either complete the well or continue drilling to the next test zone. In almost every case, analytical results of ground water samples taken from the newly installed wells closely replicated the water quality of ground water samples obtained through the pump packer system.     

A Tracer Test to Characterize Treatment of TCE in a Permeable Reactive Barrier

A tracer test was conducted to characterize the flow of groundwater across a permeable reactive barrier constructed with plant mulch (a biowall) at the OU‐1 site on Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma. This biowall is intended to intercept and treat groundwater contaminated by trichloroethylene (TCE) in a shallow aquifer. The biowall is 139‐m long, 7.3‐m deep, and 0.5‐m wide. Bromide was injected from an upgradient well into the groundwater as a conservative tracer, and was subsequently observed breaking through in monitoring wells within and downgradient of the biowall. The bromide breakthrough data demonstrate that groundwater entering the biowall migrated across it, following the slope of the local groundwater surface. The average seepage velocity of groundwater was approximately 0.06 m/d. On the basis of the Darcy velocity of groundwater and geometry of the biowall, the average residence time of groundwater in the biowall was estimated at 10 d. Assuming all TCE removal occurred in the biowall, the reduction in TCE concentrations in groundwater across the biowall corresponds to a first‐order attenuation rate constant in the range of 0.38 to 0.15 per d. As an independent estimate of the degradation rate constant, STANMOD software was used to fit curves through data on the breakthrough of bromide and TCE in selected wells downgradient of the injection wells. Best fits to the data required a first‐order degradation rate constant for TCE removal in the range of 0.13 to 0.17 per d. The approach used in this study provides an objective evaluation of the remedial performance of the biowall that can provide a basis for design of other biowalls that are intended to remediate TCE‐contaminated groundwater.     

Screened Auger Sampling: The Technique and Two Case Studies

The screened auger is a laser-slotted, hollow-stem auger through which a representative sample of ground water is pumped from an aquifer and tested for water-quality parameters by appropriate field-screening methods. Screened auger sampling can be applied to ground water quality remedial investigations, providing:(1) a mechanism for determining a monitoring well's optimal screen placement in a contaminant plume; and (2) data to define the three-dimensional configuration of the contaminant plume.
Screened auger sampling has provided an efficient method for investigating hexavalent chromium and volatile organic compound contamination in two sandy aquifers in Cadillac, Michigan. The aquifers approach 200 feet in thickness and more than 1 square mile in area. A series of screened auger borings and monitoring wells was installed, and ground water was collected at 10-foot intervals as the boreholes were advanced to define the horizontal and vertical distribution of the contaminant plumes. The ability of the screened auger to obtain representative ground water samples was supported by the statistical comparison of field screening results and subsequent laboratory analysis of ground water from installed monitoring wells.     

Influence of aquifer properties on phytoremediation effectiveness

Recent research has shown that planting deep-rooted trees, such as poplar, can take up and degrade important ground water pollutants such as trichloroethylene (TCE) as they transpire water from the capillary fringe of shallow contaminated aquifers. The effect of hydrogeologic factors on the minimum plantation area needed to prevent downgradient migration of contaminated ground water is not well known. Accordingly, the objective of this research was to identify the hydrogeologic parameters that control phytoremediation effectiveness. We used a numerical ground water flow model to evaluate the effect that natural variations in hydrogeologic parameters and growing season duration have on the minimum plantation area required for capture. We found that the plantation area that was needed to completely capture a ground water contamination plume was directly proportional to aquifer horizontal hydraulic conductivity, saturated thickness, and ground water gradient. The plantation area needed for capture increased nonlinearly with increasing plume width, aquifer anisotropy, and decreasing growing season duration. The plantation area needed for capture was generally insensitive to aquifer-specific yield and storativity. Steady-state simulations can be used to predict the plantation area needed for capture in many applications. A particularly important finding of this work is that evapotranspiration fluxes through plantations appropriately sized to contain the plume substantially exceeded the ground water flux through the plume itself.     

Long-Term Evaluation of Mulch Biowall Performance to Treat Chlorinated Solvents

Permeable reactive barriers (PRBs), such as mulch biowalls, have been installed at numerous groundwater cleanup sites, and laboratory and field studies have demonstrated biotic and abiotic processes that degrade chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs) in groundwater passing through these engineered remedies. However, the longevity of mulch biowalls remains a fundamental research question. Soil and groundwater sampling at seven mulch biowalls at Altus Air Force Base (AFB) approximately 10 years after installation demonstrated the ongoing degradation of CVOCs. Trichloroethene was not detected in five of seven groundwater samples collected from the biowall despite upgradient detections above federal drinking water standards. Microbial sampling established the presence of key dechlorinating bacteria and the abundance of genes encoding specific enzymes for degradation, high methane concentrations, low sulfate concentrations, and negative oxidation-reduction potential, all indicative of highly reducing conditions within the biowalls and favorable conditions for CVOC destruction via microbial reductive dechlorination. High cellulose content (>79%) of the mulch, elevated total organic carbon (TOC) content in groundwater, and elevated potentially bioavailable organic carbon (PBOC) measurements in soil samples further supports an ongoing, long-lived source of carbon. These results demonstrate the ongoing and long-term efficacy of the mulch biowalls at Altus AFB. In addition, concentrations of bacteria, TOC, PBOC, and other geochemical parameters suggest a modest impact of the biowalls downgradient. The continued presence of CVOCs downgradient may be attributable to back diffusion from low-permeability shale. However, the biowalls continue to provide benefits by removing CVOCs in groundwater, thus reducing further CVOC loading to the downgradient, low-permeability strata.     

Arrays of Unpumped Wells for Plume Migration Control by Semi-Passive In Situ Remediation

Arrays of unpumped wells can be used as discontinuous permeable walls in which each well serves both as a means to focus ground water flow into the well for treatment and as a container either for permeable reactive media which directly destroy dissolved ground water contaminants or for devices or materials which release amendments that support in situ degradation of contaminants within the aquifer downgradient of the wells. This paper addresses the use of wells for amendment delivery, recognizing the potential utility of amendments such as electron acceptors (e.g., oxygen nitrate), electron donors (primary substrates), and microbial nutrients for stimulating bioremediation, and the potential utility of oxidizers, reducers, etc., for controlled abiotic degradation. Depending on its rate and constraints, the remedial reaction may occur within the well and/or downgradient. For complete remediation of ground water passing through the well array, the total flux of amendment released must meet or exceed the total flux demand imposed by the plume. When there are constraints on the released concentration of amendment (relative to the demand), close spacing of the wells may be required. If the flux balance allows wider spacing, it is likely that limited downgradient spreading of the released amendment will then be the primary constraint on interwell spacing. Divergent flow from the wells, roughly two times the well diameter, provides the bulk of downgradient spreading and constrains maximum well spacing in the absence of significant lateral dispersion. Stronger lateral dispersion enhances the spreading of amendment, thereby increasing the lateral impact of each well, which allows for wider well spacing.     

Identification of Multiple Sources of Groundwater Contamination by Dual Isotopes

Chlorinated solvents are one of the most commonly detected groundwater contaminants in industrial areas. Identification of polluters and allocation of contaminant sources are important concerns in the evaluation of complex subsurface contamination with multiple sources. In recent years, compound‐specific isotope analyses (CSIA) have been employed to discriminate among different contaminant sources and to better understand the fate of contaminants in field‐site studies. In this study, the usefulness of dual isotopes (carbon and chlorine) was shown in assessments of groundwater contamination at an industrial complex in Wonju, Korea, where groundwater contamination with chlorinated solvents such as trichloroethene (TCE) and carbon tetrachloride (CT) was observed. In November 2009, the detected TCE concentrations at the study site ranged between nondetected and 10,066 µg/L, and the CT concentrations ranged between nondetected and 985 µg/L. In the upgradient area, TCE and CT metabolites were detected, whereas only TCE metabolites were detected in the downgradient area. The study revealed the presence of separate small but concentrated TCE pockets in the downgradient area, suggesting the possibility of multiple contaminant sources that created multiple comingling plumes. Furthermore, the variation of the isotopic (δ¹³C and δ³⁷Cl) TCE values between the upgradient and downgradient areas lends support to the idea of multiple contamination sources even in the presence of detectable biodegradation. This case study found it useful to apply a spatial distribution of contaminants coupled with their dual isotopic values for evaluation of the contaminated sites and identification of the presence of multiple sources in the study area.     

The Application of a Statistical Trend Analysis Model to Ground Water Monitoring Data from Solid Waste Landfills

A statistical trend methodology is used to compare ground water quality between eight landfill sites in western Michigan as a case study. Monitoring data were collected over a 15-year period on 36 parameters at an upgradient and downgradient well selected at each of the eight sites. This yielded a total of 576 monitoring data sets available for analysis. New trend and contamination indices are introduced that are used to compare ground water contamination between these eight sites. These indices are used to assess each landfill's relative potential for environmental harm.
Many questions remain unanswered, but what is demonstrated here is that this type of methodology has the potential to be used to assess trends of ground water chemistry concentrations at landfill sues in a region. A specific purpose of such an assessment could be to provide a quantified basis for the prioritization of funds allocated for cleanup of contaminated landfill sites. Having a technical capability to reduce large amounts of ground water monitoring data to appropriate summaries, which then can be used to assess environmental contamination between several sites, could also have important economic and health implications in other settings. Hopefully this paper will encourage further development of such technologies for these purposes.     

Caution Against Interpreting Gasoline Release Dates Based on BTEX Ratios in Ground Water

"Traces of MTBE in ground water (>10 ppb) do not necessarily indicate recent gasoline contamination."     

The Geochemistry of Boron in a Landfill Monitoring Program

Ground water monitoring data collected during the past eight years at a permitted municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal facility located in the midwestern United States indicated fluctuations in typical leachate indicator parameter concentrations. Apparent trends in the data inferred leachate outbreak, generating suspicion as to the integrity of the landfill liner. Eight ground water monitoring wells were installed in three distinct geologic units at the landfill facility, including glacial drift, silurian dolomite, and a post-glacial peat fen, which is downgradient from the landfill. Piezometer nests were used to define ground water gradients at the site. Using boron as an indicator, the occurrence of analytes of concern in the downgradient monitoring wells were shown to be indicative of the natural geochemistry of site ground water. This work emphasizes the importance of understanding site hydrogeology during the interpretation of ground water quality data.     

An Integrated Ground Water Monitoring Program Using Multilevel Gas-Driven Samplers and Conventional Monitoring Wells

Hydrogeologic and ground water quality data obtained from a gas-driven multilevel sampler system and a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) monitoring well nest with the same aquifer communication intervals are compared. All monitoring points are in close proximity to each other. The study was conducted at an eight-acre uncontrolled hazardous waste site. The site is located in an alluvial valley composed of approximately 40 feet of alluvium overlying shale bedrock. The ground water at the site is contaminated with various organic constituents. A ground water monitoring network consisting of 26 conventional monitoring wells, nine observation well points, and six multilevel gas-driven samplers was established to characterize the hydrogeologic regime and define the vertical and horizontal extent of contamination in the vicinity of the abandoned chemical plant. As part of this study, a multilevel monitoring system was installed adjacent to a well nest. The communication zones of the multilevel samplers were placed at the same elevation as the sand packs of the well nest. The multilevel sampler system and well nest are located in a contaminated area directly downgradient of the site. A comparison of the vertical head distribution and ground water quality was performed between the well nest and the multilevel sampling system. The gas-driven multilevel sampling system consists of three gas-driven samplers that monitor separate intervals in the unconsolidated materials. The well nest, composed of two PVC monitoring wells in separate boreholes, has the same communication interval as the other two gas-driven samplers. Hydraulic head information for each multilevel sampler was obtained using capillary tubing. This was compared with heads obtained from the well nest utilizing an electric water level indicator. Chemical analyses from the PVC and multilevel sampler wells were performed and compared with one another. The analyses included organic acids, base neutrals, pesticides, PCBs, metals, volatile organics, TOX, TOC, CN, pH and specific conductance.     

EPA's Approach to Evaluating and Cleaning Up Ground Water Contamination at Superfund Sites

EPA's approach for developing, evaluating, and selecting ground water response actions at Superfund sites with contaminated ground water involves a series of key decisions to support necessary actions. These actions include the following:
Planning how the site will be managed
Determining data needs
Determining remedial action objectives
Developing alternatives
Selecting and implementing the remedy.
The key decisions should reflect a policy and decision-making approach developed within the framework of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA 1980) as amended by the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA 1986) and program policies to implement these acts. This paper outlines a flexible, iterative process, described in detail in the Guidance on Remedial Actions for Contaminated Ground Water at Superfund Sites (U.S. EPA 1988), by which ground water remedies can be identified, evaluated, selected, and implemented at Superfund sites beginning with initial site investigation tasks and ending with evaluation of implemented actions. Proper consideration of the factors presented in this paper should result in an efficient, effective procedure for making remedial action decisions for contaminated ground water that ensures protection of human health and the environment.     

Application of VLEACH to Vadose Zone Transport of VOCs at an Arizona Superfund Site

Cleanup standards for volatile organic compounds in thick vadose zones can be based on indirect risk (transport to ground water) when contamination is below depths of significant direct risk. At one Arizona Superfund site, a one-dimensional vadose zone transport model (VLE-ACH) was used to estimate the continued transport of VOCs from the vadose zone to ground water. VLEACH is a relatively simple and readily available model that proved useful for estimating indirect risk from VOCs in the vadose zone at this site. The estimates of total soil concentrations used as initial conditions for VLF.ACH incorporated a variety of data from the site. Soil gas concentrations were found to be more useful than soil matrix data for estimating total soil concentrations at this arid-zone site. A simple mixing cell model was used with the VLEACH-derived mass loading estimates from the vadose zone over time to estimate the resulting changes in ground water concentrations. For this site, the results of the linked VLEACH/mixing cell simulations indicate it is likely that the federal MCI. for TCE will be exceeded in underlying ground water if remedial action on I he vadose zone is not pursued.     

Enhancement of In Situ Bioremediation of BTEX-Contaminated Ground Water by Oxygen Diffusion from Silicone Tubing

A field study of oxygen-enhanced biodegradation was carried out in a sandy iron-rich ground water system contaminated with gasoline hydrocarbons. Prior to the oxygen study, intrinsic microbial biodegradation in the contaminant plume had depleted dissolved oxygen and created anaerobic conditions. An oxygen diffusion system made of silicone polymer tubing was installed in an injection well within an oxygen delivery zone containing coarse highly permeable sand. During the study, this system delivered high dissolved oxygen (DO) levels (39 mg/L) to the ground water within a part of the plume. The ground water was sampled at a series of monitors in the test zone downgradient of the delivery well to determine the effect of oxygen on dissolved BTEX, ground water geochemistry, and microbially mediated biodegradation processes. The DO levels and Eh increased markedly at distances up to 2.3 m (7.5 feet) downgradient. Potential biofouling and iron precipitation effects did not clog the well screens or porous medium. The increased dissolved oxygen enhanced the population of aerobes while the activity of anaerobic sulfate-reducing bacteria and methanogens decreased. Based on concentration changes, the estimated total rate of BTEX biodegradation rose from 872 mg/day before enhancement to 2530 mg/day after 60 days of oxygen delivery. Increased oxygen flux to the test area could account for aerobic biodegradation of 1835 mg/day of the BTEX. The estimated rates of anaerobic biodegradation processes decreased based on the flux of sulfate, iron (II), and methane. Two contaminants in the plume, benzene and ethylbenzene, are not biodegraded as readily as toluene or xylenes under anaerobic conditions. Following oxygen enhancement, however, the benzene and ethylbenzene concentrations decreased about 98%, as did toluene and total xylenes.