1997 Volume 39 Issue 1 Pages 17-31
A one-dimensional transport model for in situ bioremediation of a saturated aquifer contaminated by trichloroethylene (TCE) was developed. The model assumes that TCE is degraded by cometabolic transformation in the presence of mobile and immobile methanotrophic bacteria (methanotrophs) stimulated by the injection of methane and oxygen into the aquifer. Simulation results showed qualitative agreements with some of the experimental results reported by other researthers. Competitive inhibition between methane and TCE significantly affected the removal of TCE. The effect of sorption / desorption kinetics for TCE on the removal depends upon the limiting conditions in the system. The removal of TCE is substantially improved by changing the sorption / desorption characteristics, if sorption / desorption is a limiting process. Under the simulated conditions, microbial mobility exerted little influence on the TEC removal rate. These simulation results indicate that this model can provide useful information for understanding the phenomena during a remedial action and for improving the efficiency of TCE removal.
