ENV-96-158 ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE AND CUTTING COSTS: INTRINSIC BIODEGRADATION OF BENZENE IN A FRESH WATER AQUIFER

Description:

Hydrocarbon plumes in groundwater are a common and costly environmental compliance issue. The portion of the plume with low-concentration contamination is often the largest in area and represents the most difficult element of the plume to cost-effectively remediate. Recent developments in scientific understanding and regulatory acceptance of natural attenuation processes in groundwater offer an alternative approach to traditional physical and chemical treatments for remediation of plumes with low concentrations of contamination. Many hydrocarbon constituents are now recognized to biodegrade under both aerobic and anaeobic conditions. Attenuation processes include physical retardation and biological transformation, or “intrinsic bioremediation”. Intrinsic bioremediation is the process of contaminant destruction by indigenous microorganisms without engineered - stimulation.