Modeling natural attenuation of total BTEX and benzene plumes with different kinetics
Natural attenuation has emerged as a potential alternative for remediation of sites contaminated with fuel hydrocarbons. This paper compares the results from modeling the natural attenuation of BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene) at a coastal site to the results from a benzene model at...
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| Published in | Ground water monitoring & remediation Vol. 24; no. 3; pp. 53 - 68 |
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| Main Authors | , |
| Format | Journal Article |
| Language | English |
| Published |
Oxford, UK
Blackwell Publishing Ltd
01.08.2004
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| Online Access | Get full text |
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| Summary: | Natural attenuation has emerged as a potential alternative for remediation of sites contaminated with fuel hydrocarbons. This paper compares the results from modeling the natural attenuation of BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene) at a coastal site to the results from a benzene model at the same site. Field data for total BTEX and benzene were used to develop model parameters for the Bioplume III site model. A first‐order kinetics expression was used for benzene and an instantaneous expression for BTEX. Modeling results showed shorter cleanup timeframes for benzene than for BTEX. Natural attenuation cleanup times using BTEX and assimilative capacity are 47% to 90% higher than those for benzene alone. Cleanup times for benzene of ∼100 years were estimated from model predictions, whereas predicted cleanup times for BTEX varied between 150 and 200 years. |
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| Bibliography: | ark:/67375/WNG-WFT0Z945-K istex:E6C1FA2E7CB1915763BFD3DE626760A223403649 ArticleID:GWMR1292 Monica P. Suarez is a researcher in civil and environmental engineering at the University of Houston. She holds an M.S. in environmental engineering from the University of Houston and has six years of experience in waste water treatment and sustainable development. Her current research focuses on understanding natural attenuation processes at the field scale. She may be reached at the University of Houston, 4800 Calhoun Rd., Room N107D, Houston, TX 77204–4003; (713) 743–0753; fax (713) 743–4260 monica.suarez@mail.uh.edu published by Prentice‐Hall in 1994 and 1999, and Natural Attenuation of Fuels and Chlorinated Solvents in the Subsurface, published by McGraw Hill in 1999. She is the editor‐in‐chief of and a member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Science Advisory Board Environmental Engineering Committee (FY00) Natural Attenuation Subcommittee, 2000. Raifi may be reached at the University of Houston, 4800 Calhoun Rd., Room N107D, Houston, TX 77204–4003; (713) 743 4271; fax (713) 743 4260 Bioremediation Journal corresponding author, is an associate professor in civil and environmental engineering at the University of Houston. Her research efforts focus on contaminant fate and transport modeling, and remediation and natural attenuation. She has coauthored two textbooks: Ground Water Contamination: Transport and Remediation . Hanadi S. Rifai rifai@uh.edu |
| ISSN: | 1069-3629 1745-6592 |
| DOI: | 10.1111/j.1745-6592.2004.tb01292.x |