Abstract
ABSTRACT
Recent efforts to study the efficiency of aquifer remediation have led hydrogeologists to realize that both small- and large-scale permeability heterogeneities have a significant impact upon pump-and-treat and in situ biorestoration operations. Numerical modeling techniques are used to demonstrate how geologic complexity may affect the pump-and-treat and in situ bioremediation of organic-contaminated groundwaters. The simulation approach is relatively simple to implement, and can serve a didactic purpose in its illustration of remediation in heterogeneous aquifer. The modeling results show that permeability heterogeneities can significantly influence the time required to remove the contaminants. Substantial improvement in water quality is extremely slow in low permeability zones where little water flushes through and mixes with contaminated water. For well-characterized aquifers, geostatistical representation of plume migration and degradation could be of great value in assessing bioremediation at sites where permanent cleanup is the goal.
Key words:
bioremediation; pump-and-treat; hydrogeology; groundwater contamination; geologic heterogeneity
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