Pilot-Scale Evaluation of Hydrogen Release Compound for Enhanced In-Situ Bioremediation at AOC 50
Abstract
Remedial investigation activities at Area of Contamination (AOC) 50 at Devens Reserve Forces Training Area (RFTA) have identified a plume of tetrachioroethene (PCE) contaminated groundwater migrating from a source area near Building 3840 toward the Nashua River approximately 3,000 feet away (Figure 1). As part of the Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study Process, several potential approaches will be evaluated for cleanup of source-area and groundwater contamination. In support of the feasibility study, the Army has directed HLA to perform a pilot-scale test of one of the potential remedies: enhanced in-situ bioremediation. The chlorinated solvent PCE degrades only slowly by biological processes under aerobic conditions. Degradation is relatively rapid, however, under anaerobic conditions, and, through a process called reductive dechlorination, PCE is sequentially degraded/transformed to the daughter products trichloroethene (TCE), dichloroethene (DCE), vinyl chloride (VC), and ultimately to innocuous nonchlorinated compounds. The presence of low concentrations of DCE and VC near the AOC 50 source suggests that some anaerobic degradation has taken place, but the high concentrations of PCE, presence of dissolved oxygen, and low concentrations of total organic carbon suggest that conditions are not favorable for it to continue. The degradation sequence is shown below.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 2000
- Accession Number
- ADA473174