In situ bioremediation of groundwater contaminated with petroleum constituents using oxygen release compounds (ORCs)

Over the past 5 years, the use of in situ biological remediation methods has gained acceptance for the biological degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons and chlorinated solvents in the groundwater. Application of slow-release compounds such as Oxygen Release Compound (ORC) and Hydrogen Releasing Compounds have been used routinely as remediation tools. This paper describes the implementation of an in situ bioremediation scheme to address the petroleum constituents in the groundwater at the site of a former gasoline station. Site investigations had indicated that groundwater beneath the site was contaminated with up to 34,300 microg/L benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes (BTEX). The remedial scheme involved the installation of the four monitoring wells, monitoring and sampling of the wells and the application of ORCs into the Area of Concern (AOC). The results indicate that levels of petroleum constituents continue to be present in groundwater beneath the site after ORC injection. However, over time the levels of BTEX have significantly decreased. Kinetic study showed that the removal of BTEX fits a zero-order kinetic model for each monitoring well under enhanced oxidized conditions. The compound with the highest biodegradation rate constant was m,p-xylene in monitoring wells MW-2, MW-3 and MW-4.