The Characteristics of Bioremediation for VOCs in Soil Column

VOCs처리를 위한 미생물의 토양복원화 특성

  • 손종렬 (고려대학교 보건대학 환경위생) ;
  • 장명배 ((주)대하엔지니어링)
  • Published : 2002.04.01

Abstract

Diffusive transport of volatile organic compounds(VOCs) and their degradation by bacteria in unsaturated soils are couple by poorly understood mass transfer kinetics at the gas/water interface. Determination of the fate of VOCs in unsaturated soil is necessary to evaluate the feasibility of natural attenuation as a VOC remediation strategy. The objective of this study was to develop a mechanistically based mathematical model that would consider the interdependence of VOC transport, microbial activity, and sorptive interaction in a moist, unsaturated soil. Because the focus of the model was on description of natural attenuation, the advective VOC transport that is induced in engineered remediation processes such as vapor extraction was not considered. The utility of the model was assessed through its ability to describe experimental observations form diffusion experiments using toluene as a representative VOC in well-defined soil columns that contained a toluene degrading bacterium, Pseudomonas Putida, as the sole active microbial species. The coefficient for gas-liquid mass-transfer, K$\sub$LA/, was found to be a key parameter controlling the ability of bacteria to degrade VOCs. This finding indicates that soil size and geometry are likely to be important parameters in assessing the possible success of natural attenuation of VOCs in contaminated unsaturated soils.

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