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Treatment of Groundwater Contaminated with PAHs, Gasoline Hydrocarbons, and Methyl tert-butyl Ether in a Laboratory Biomass-Retaining Bioreactor

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Abstract

In this study, we investigated the treatability of co-mingled groundwater contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), gasoline hydrocarbons, and methyl tert-butyl ether (MtBE) using an ex-situ aerobic biotreatment system. The PAHs of interest were naphthalene, methyl-naphthalene, acenaphthene, acenaphthylene, and carbazole. The gasoline hydrocarbons included benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, and p-xylene (BTEX). Two porous pot reactors were operated for a period of 10 months under the same influent contaminant concentrations. The contaminated groundwater was introduced into the reactors at a flow rate of 4 and 9 l/day, resulting in a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 32 and 15 h, respectively. In both reactors, high removal efficiencies were achieved for the PAHs (>99%), BTEX and MtBE (>99.7%). All the PAHs of interest and the four BTEX compounds were detected at concentrations less than 1 μg/l throughout the study duration. Effluent MtBE from both reactors was observed at higher levels; nevertheless, its concentration was lower than the 5 μg/l Drinking Water Advisory for MtBE implemented in California.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45221, USA

    Maher M. Zein, Patricio X. Pinto, Susana Garcia-Blanco & Makram T. Suidan

  2. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Risk Management Research Laboratory, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45268, USA

    Albert D. Venosa

Authors
  1. Maher M. Zein
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  2. Patricio X. Pinto
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  3. Susana Garcia-Blanco
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  4. Makram T. Suidan
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  5. Albert D. Venosa
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Correspondence to Makram T. Suidan.

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Zein, M.M., Pinto, P.X., Garcia-Blanco, S. et al. Treatment of Groundwater Contaminated with PAHs, Gasoline Hydrocarbons, and Methyl tert-butyl Ether in a Laboratory Biomass-Retaining Bioreactor. Biodegradation 17, 57–69 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10532-005-3049-x

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