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A three‐dimensional model of microbial transport and biodegradation at the Schoolcraft, Michigan, site
Author(s) -
Phanikumar M. S.,
Hyndman David W.,
Zhao Xianda,
Dybas Michael J.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
water resources research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.863
H-Index - 217
eISSN - 1944-7973
pISSN - 0043-1397
DOI - 10.1029/2004wr003376
Subject(s) - bioremediation , environmental remediation , nitrate , groundwater , environmental chemistry , microbial consortium , environmental science , biodegradation , tracer , contamination , chemistry , environmental engineering , microorganism , geology , ecology , bacteria , geotechnical engineering , biology , paleontology , physics , organic chemistry , nuclear physics
Bioremediation can be a cost‐effective approach to clean up groundwater contaminants, especially in cases where numerical models have been used to evaluate microbial processes and design remediation strategies. This paper describes the three‐dimensional reactive transport modeling of carbon tetrachloride (CT) bioremediation at the Schoolcraft site in western Michigan. A “biocurtain” was created to remediate this site using a recirculation well gallery installed normal to groundwater flow, which was inoculated with nonnative microbes and fed with weekly additions of electron donor (acetate) and nutrients. The model simulates the transport and reactions of aqueous and sorbed phase CT, acetate, electron acceptor (nitrate), mobile and immobile microbes, and tracer (bromide). Simulated microbial processes include growth, decay, attachment, detachment, and endogenous respiration. This model was used to predict solute concentrations across the site using laboratory‐based reaction parameters and to evaluate changes in rates from the laboratory to the field. A reasonable agreement was found between predicted and observed acetate and nitrate concentrations; however, a lower CT degradation rate was needed to describe the CT concentrations observed after the inoculation event.