Bioremediation and Bionanotechnology Part 2 Dr Russell Thomas, Parsons Brinckerhoff 19 th May 2010.

Bioremediation and Bionanotechnology

Part 2

Dr Russell Thomas, Parsons Brinckerhoff

19th May 2010

Bioremediation of Groundwater

• Bioremediation can also be used for the treatment of groundwater.• This can be in many different forms, ranging from air sparging the ground to the addition of chemicals that release oxygen or hydrogen. • A novel examples of groundwater bioremediation is the SEquential Reactive BARrier project (SEREBAR).

•SEREBAR is a barrier based system which captures and treats a plume of groundwater contaminated with organic compounds.

• The site was an active gas storage depot, with an area of dense tar and plume of contaminated groundwater. A risk management system was required to mitigate the risks from groundwater pollution on the site.• Appropriate geology, risk drivers, and risk management for the application of a Permeable Reactive Barrier (PRB) at the site.

• An excellent opportunity to undertake novel research project and at the same time develop a full scale remediation system now operational for 6 years.

Jamie Robinson, Dr Russell Thomas, Stuart Jagger and Stuart Cory

Prof. Robert M. Kalin (PI), Keith Dickson, Karen McGeough, Dr Mike Larkin, Dr Andy Ferguson

Dr Steve WallaceDr Paddy Daly

Prof. Chris Knowles, Prof. Mark Bailey, Dr Wei Huang & Dr Ian Thompson

Prof. Stephan Jefferis, Dr Norman Kirkby, Dr Ruben Rodriquez-Quintero

Dr Brian Bone

Dr Simon Jackman

In-Situ Bioremediation of Cyanide, PAHs and

Heterocyclic Compounds using Engineered

SEquenced REactive BARrier (SEREBAR)

Techniques

Now

Site circa 1840

Site Circa 2000’s

Site Circa 1940’s

Historical development of the site (study site shaded blue)

Site circa 1878

Groundwater monitoring and modelling

Site spatial distribution within groundwater of a) EPA 16-PAHs and b) Tar.

a b

SEREBAR System

TrainingBuilding

Waste TransferStation

Relocate to newlocation as shown

Take down and rebuildin new locationas shown

Take down Armco barrierand store onsite

Sawcuts 700mm wide alongline of slurry wall

Take downf ence and rebuildf ollowing works

Demolish building anddispose off site

SEREBAR treatment system

DNAPL Recovery Wells

Infiltration Well

Dispersal Well

Barrier Wall

GAC 1Absorption

Polishing step

GAC 2Absorption

Polishing step

Sand 4Aerobic

Sand 2Anaerobic

Sand 3 Aerobic

Sand 1Anaerobic

Oil Interceptor Aerated

Infiltration Well

Dispersal Well

Compliance Monitoring point GAC1

Influent Monitoring point AW1

Conceptual model of SEREBAR system

NAPL associated with Underground tanks and within gravels

Pumped Infiltration well

Dispersal well

Impermeable bentonite clay

wall

Low permeability Breccia strata preventing vertical pollution migration

Contaminant plume Remediated Groundwater

Treatment chambers

SEquential REactive BARrier (SEREBAR)

• SEREBAR system would provide:

• Capture of groundwater plume by means of an impermeable bentonite clay barrier wall;

• Groundwater pumped into the SEREBAR treatment system;

• A sequential three phase system:

• Anaerobic treatment;

• Aerobic treatment;

• Granular Activated Carbon (Polishing step) and safety measure in case of failure.

• Designed as a robust and effective system for the treatment of organic contaminants (PAH, BTEX, etc.).

Installing the slurry wall and SEREBAR treatment system

Water enters AW1

Interceptor

Sand 1 Sand 2

Sand 3

Sand 4

GAC 1

GAC2 and exit

Completed reactor chambers. Loading of sand into reactor

chambers.

Gas-main Crossing

Slurry Wall

SEREBAR performance

• SEREBAR became operation in June 2004, Coming up to it’s 6th anniversary of operation.• Monitored every two months since it became operational. • Operating as a full scale industrial treatment system.

• The NAPL plume on the north of the site has diminished since the system was operational. NAPL now confined to the south of the site

• Very good performance removing organic contaminants well below risk based discharge concentrations agreed with EA.

• Effective hydraulic control has been maintained over the system, although changes in the flow rate have been required to ensure this.

Contaminant  Naphthalene Phenanthrene Pyrene Benzene Toluene Ethyl benzene Xylene

Conc. before treatment 12.3 5.7 1.1 117.3 4.3 26.7 19.9

Conc. after treatment 0.2 0.2 0.2 3.6 1.3 2.2 4.2

Remedial Action values 15 to 60.6 12.2 11.4 66 to 749 176 to 12,100 49.8 to 182 66 to 749

Average Percentage Decrease for all years 98.4% 96.7% 86.2% 96.9% 70.1% 91.6% 78.9%

• Some evidence of cyanide biodegradation has also been observed.

Performance – naphthalene and phenanthrene SEREBAR performance: treatment of naphthalene in groundwater

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Concentration before treatment with SEREBAR systemConcentration after treatment with SEREBAR system

SEREBAR performance: treatment of phenanthrene in groundwater

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Concentration before treatment with SEREBAR system

Concentration after treatment with SEREBAR system

Future Areas?

• PB are currently trialling the application of Zero Valent Iron coupled to biodegradation for treating gasworks related contaminants.

• Working with Prof. Bob Kalin at University of Strathclyde for the application of forensic analysis techniques for investigating tar composition and evidence of Natural attenuation.

• Working with Prof. Jon Lloyd on the application of nanoscale iron for the remediation on contaminated sites (up next).

Thanks and Further Reading

• Many thanks to National Grid Property, Parsons Brinkerhoff Research and Innovation Fund, CL:AIRE, BBSRC, LINK, Prof. Bob Kalin and Onyx Environmental Trust.