Abstract
The study was carried out to evaluate the characteristics of biodegradation by Pseudomonas putida G7 in soil column. The reactor system was used to investigate mass transfer of VOCs as Toluene in a column of unsaturated soil. Determination of the fate of VOCs in unsaturated soil is necessary to evaluate the feasibility of natural attenuation as a VOCs 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 interactions in a moist, unsaturated soil. Because the focus of the model was on description of natural attenuation, the advective VOCs transport that is induced in engineered remediation processes such as vapor extraction was not considered. It can be concluded that the coefficient for gas liquid mass-transfer was found to be a key parameter controlling the ability of bacteria to VOCs. Finally, it appeared that bioremediation technology of VOCs which are difficult to be decomposed by chemical methods.
