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Iron Bacteria Continue to Challenge Operators' Skills
Author(s) -
McDonald Joe
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
opflow
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1551-8701
pISSN - 0149-8029
DOI - 10.1002/j.1551-8701.1993.tb00321.x
Subject(s) - iron bacteria , biofilm , aquifer , aeration , bacteria , chlorine , aerobic bacteria , environmental engineering , environmental science , chemistry , groundwater , waste management , engineering , biology , geotechnical engineering , organic chemistry , genetics
Iron bacteria can cause many problems, most notably aesthetic problems and plugging that restricts flow. Iron bacteria can generally be found anywhere dissolved oxygen and dissolved iron are present. Often a problem arises when anaerobic groundwater containing iron mixes with aerobic water or in some other way comes in contact with oxygen, for example by aeration during pumping. Production and flow problems are created by infestations (biofilm) that plug lines. For effective control with chlorine, shock levels must be used and chlorination levels must remain high to keep the biofilm from reforming. One way to handle the problem is to move the biofouling plug to where it will pose the least problem to the water system in general (for example, from the gravel pack to the aquifer). If a well is already severely plugged, repeated shock chlorination and acidization may work. In cases where the bacteria pose aesthetic problems but not plugging, a simpler solution may work; a case study is given. Looking on the positive side, iron bacteria can reduce the amount of iron and manganese in water.