Remediation of Dissolved BTEX Through Surface Application: A Prototype Field Investigation |
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| Authors: | Katherine E O'Leary James F Barker Robert W Gillham |
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| Institution: | Katherine O'Leary is a hydro geologist at Norecol, Dames &Moore (1212 Broadway St., Ste. 500, Vancouver, B.C., Canada V6H 3V1) in Vancouver. She holds a B.Sc. in soil science from the University of Alberta and an M.Sc. in hydrogeology from the University of Waterloo. She has eight years environmental experience in industry and consulting. Her current work focuses on investigations and remediation of hydrocarbon-contaminated soil and ground water.;Jim Barker is a professor in the Department of Earth Sciences, University of Waterloo, and a member of the Waterloo Centre for Groundwater Research (WCGR, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada N2L 3G1). Most of his research pertains to the mobility, fate, persistence, and remediation of organic contaminants in ground water.;Bob Gillham is the chair of the Department of Earth Sciences, University of Waterloo, a member and former director of WCGR (Waterloo Centre for Groundwater Research, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada N2L 3G1). His research pertains to the behavior of organic contaminants in the unsaturated and saturated zone and to the in situ remediation of chlorinated solvents using abiotic reactions. |
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| Abstract: | The feasibility of surface application for remediating monoaromatic hydrocarbons (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes — termed BTEX as a croup) dissolved in ground water under field conditions was investigated at a site within Canadian Forces Base. Borden. Ontario. The surface area was 25 m2 and underlain by 3 to 3.5 m of unsaturated sands soil. For periods of at least 216 hours, between 43 and 72 cm/d of water containing BTEX at concentrations that averaged between 8 and 11 mg/L were continuously applied by drip irrigation. Nitrogen was added to the soil as a nutrient for the final third of the investigation.
Before the applied water reached the water table. BTEX mass losses ranged from of to essentially KM) percent. Less than 6 percent of the BTEX mass losses could be attributed to volatilization from the unsaturated soil. The remaining BTEX mass losses were attributed to biodegradation, mostly in the top 50 cm of the soil, which contained more inorganic nitrogen and organic carbon than the deeper soil. Biodegradation rates increased with applied concentration, nitrogen addition, and exposure to BTEX. Benzene concentrations in ground water attained compliance with Canadian and American drinking water standards only after nitrogen application. |
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