| This case study was conducted at the former Fuel Farm Site at the U.S. Coast Guard Support Center at Elizabeth City, North Carolina. The geochemistry of the site is typical of sites where natural biodegradation limits the spread of BTEX compounds. The plume is undergoing extensive anaerobic oxidation of petroleum hydrocarbons, as well as fermentation of hydrocarbons to methane. The hydrocarbon metabolism through sulfate and iron oxidation is approximately equivalent to the hydrocarbon metabolism through methanogenesis. The amount of hydrocarbon metabolized through anaerobic pathways is about ten times the amount degraded with molecular oxygen. |