Treatment of N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in Groundwater Using a Fluidized Bed Bioreactor
Abstract
N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) is present in groundwater and drinking water from industrial, agricultural, water treatment, and military/aerospace sources. NDMA is a suspected human carcinogen and an emerging groundwater contaminant that has been detected at a number of Department of Defense (DoD) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) sites involved in the production, testing, and/or disposal of liquid propellants containing unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH). NDMA was a common contaminant in UDMHcontaining fuels (e.g., Aerozine-50) and is also produced when these fuels enter the environment through natural oxidation processes. Currently, the most effective treatment technology for NDMA in groundwater is pump-and-treat with ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. However, this approach is expensive because it requires high energy input to effectively reduce the levels of NDMA to meet regulatory requirements. The objective of this Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP) project was to demonstrate and validate the use of an advanced bioreactor design, a fluidized bed bioreactor (FBR), in the field for the ex situ treatment of NDMA from part-per-billion (micrograms per liter [ g/L]) influent concentrations to low part-per trillion (nanograms per liter [ng/L]) effluent concentrations. The demonstration was conducted at the NASA White Sands Test Facility (WSTF) in Las Cruces, NM. The capital and operational costs of the FBR were subsequently compared to those of an existing UV system for NDMA treatment at the WSTF facility.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2014
- Accession Number
- ADA606413
Entities
People
- Paul B. Hatzinger
- Todd S. Webster
Organizations
- Environmental Security Technology Certification Program