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COMETABOLIC BIOVENTING FIELD TEST AT DOVER AFB
Sayles, G.D. (U.S. EPA, Cincinnati, OH); L.E. Moser (Zeneca Corp., Mississauga, Ont.); D.J. Gannon; P. Morgan (ICI Technology, Runcom, Cheshire, UK); T. Franz (Beatty and Franz and Assoc., Bolton, Ont.); A. Mason; S. Pfiffner (Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville); A.V. Palumbo (Oak Ridge National Lab., Oak Ridge, TN); A. Lightner (Air Force Research Lab, Tyndall AFB, FL); S.P. Farrington (Applied Research Assoc., Inc., South Royalton, VT); J.A. Deramo (Dover AFB, Dover, DE); C. Mikula Remediation of Chlorinated and Recalcitrant Compounds: The Second International Conference Battelle Press, Columbus, OH. 2000

A comprehensive field test of cometabolic bioventing was conducted at Dover Air Force Base, Dover, Delaware, by the Remediation Technologies Development Forum Bioremediation Consortium. The site was contaminated with TCE, 1,2-cis DCE and 1,1,1-TCA in the vadose zone. The strategy was to deliver a gaseous mixture of cosubstrate and air, as an oxygen source, to the vadose zone to drive the aerobic biodegradation of the target compounds. Laboratory treatability studies using soil from the site showed that the cosubstrate propane promoted the most rapid cometabolic biodegradation of TCE and TCA, relative to toluene and methane. The technology was tested adjacent to a jet engine maintenance facility that used TCE and TCA to clean engine parts. Vadose zone and ground-water contamination in the area are attributed to leaks in the industrial sewer line. The initial TCE, DCE and TCA levels were up to 15, 35 and 200 mg/kg, respectively. Depth to ground water varied with time from six to 10 ft. A 20 foot x 30 foot test plot was established that included air/propane injection and soil gas sampling points over a 10 foot depth interval below surface. A detailed performance monitoring program was implemented. Following a period of acclimation to propane, the system was operated from May 1998 to August 1999. Large drops over time of the VOC concentrations in the soil gas indicated that significant VOC removal was occurring, and the propane uptake tests showed that propane was rapidly used by the vadose zone microorganisms. Microbial analysis showed that the number of propane degraders increased during the test. The authors also discuss the results of initial and final soil sampling. Model simulations, from a mathematical model developed for process design and description, are presented and compared to the field data.



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