x>EPA
             United States
             Environmental Protection
             Agency
             Office of Emergency and
             Remedial Response
             Washington DC 20460
             Superfund
             EPA, 540/2-90/012
Office of Research and
Development
Cincinnati OH 45268


September 1990
International Evaluation of
In-Situ Biorestoration  of
Contaminated Soil and
Groundwater

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                                                 EPA/540/2-90/012
                                                 September 1990
   INTERNATIONAL EVALUATION OF IN-SITU BIORESTORATION
          OF CONTAMINATED SOIL AND GROUNDWATER
                   Sjef J.J.M. Staps
                      formerly of:

          National Institute of Public Health
              and Environmental Protection
                       P.O.  Box 1
                   3720 BA Bilthoven
                    The Netherlands
                    current contact:

                     Grontmij N.V.
                      P.O.  Box 203
                     3730 AE DeBilt
                    The Netherlands
               Telephone:   31-30-20-79-11
                    reprinted from:

Proceedings of NATO/CCMS Third International Conference
     Demonstration of Remedial Action Technologies
         for Contaminated Land and Groundwater
                    Montreal,  Canada
                   November 6-9,  1989

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                             FOREWORD
     The Environmental Protection Agency  is  a participant in the
NATO/CCMS  (Committee for the  Challenges to Modern Society)  Pilot
Study  on  Demonstration  of  Remedial  Action  Technologies  for
Contaminated Land and Groundwater.   The purpose of this project is
to develop and share information on new and innovative technologies
for remedial action at hazardous waste sites.   Over 400 scientists
from 13 countries have  been involved in this project to date.  This
cooperative effort  is  in response to a common need  among
industrialized countries for  technologies which  can  provide more
cost-effective means  for site remediation.   This  paper resulted
from work  under  a NATO/CCMS fellowship and  will  be  published in
1992 as  part  of  a comprehensive report for  the  entire NATO/CCMS
study.   In the meantime, we decided to  publish it separately due
to the strong current interest in the  potential use of bioremedia-
tion for hazardous  waste cleanup.   This  paper provides a timely
overview of the  status of in-situ  bioremediation  technology and
should be  of  interest  to those working  on problems at Superfund,
RCRA, and  underground storage tank sites.
Walter W. Kovalick, Jr., Ph.D.
Director,
Technology Innovation Office
Donald E. Banning
Director,
NATO/CCMS Pilot Study

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                                    - 2 -
ABSTRACT

This-paper is the result of the RIVM-project "International evaluation of  in-
situ   biorestoration  of  contaminated soil and groundwater".  As a fellowship
project, it was associated with the international NATO/CCMS pilot  project  on
"Demonstration  of  Remedial  Action  Technologies  for  Contaminated Land and
Groundwater".
The  philosophy  of in-situ biorestoration is to stimulate the indigenous soil
microorganisms  to  degrade  contaminants  by  improving   the   environmental
conditions in the soil using a water recirculation system.
The objective of the project is to show the possibilities for  application  of
the  technique  in relation with contaminants, soil conditions and other site-
specific circumstances by means of integration and evaluation  of  results  of
in-situ biorestoration projects.
The project  is limited to the Netherlands, West Germany and the  USA.  It  was
implemented  by  visiting 23 relevant projects in these three countries, which
play   a  leading  role  in  the  development  of  remediation  techniques  for
contaminated soil and groundwater.

In-situ biorestoration is a relatively young, developing  technology.  It  has
been   used   at several locations, mainly in the USA. It can be used especially
for locations at which both the  unsaturated  zone  and  the  groundwater  are
contaminated with  hydrocarbons. A precondition is a good permeability of the
soil.
Experience   has   especially  been  gained  with  in-situ  biorestoration  at
hydrocarbon-contaminated petrol stations  and  industrial  sites.  The  system
generally    consists  of  a  water  recirculation  system,  aboveground  water
treatment and conditioning of the infiltrating water  with  nutrients  and  an
oxygen source.  However,  there is no one-and-only application method for in-
situ biorestoration. The remediation, which can last  from  approximately  six
months to   several years, can reach residual concentrations below the B-value
of the Netherlands examination framework  (see table 4). If applicable, in-situ
biorestoration    is  generally  more  cost-effective  than  other  remediation
techniques;  costs are approximately between 40-80 US $/m  .
Recommendations   from   this  evaluation   include  a further stimulation of the
development  of  this  technology,  improvement  of  the  preliminary  research,
expansion of the applicability to more recalcitrant contaminants, research on
bio-availability and research  into  oxygen  .supply  and   distribution  in  the
subsoil.

INTRODUCTION.

In  behalf  of  the  Dutch clean-up operation for  contaminated soil, development
of adequate  clean-up methods  is  considered to be  of prime importance.  Besides
 thermal and extraction techniques, which  still account for the  greater part of
 the clean-up operation,  biological   techniques  have  been  developed   in  the
Netherlands.  Landfarming,   a biological  treatment   technology for excavated
 contaminated soil,  is  now being used on a practical scale  (Socz6 and   Staps,
 1988).  However,  in  many cases it is  impossible or  too  expensive to excavate
   1 in (its original) place


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                                    - 3 -
the soil. In-situ techniques are then the most appropriate methods, and can be
employed for treating both the soil and the groundwater.
In the Netherlands, application of in-situ techniques  by  companies  nowadays
focusses  on  washing, circulating and cleaning of the groundwater (the former
pump-and-treat method). Especially in recent  years,  increasing  interest  is
also  being  shown  in  actual  biorestoration  in the soil. The environmental
conditions in the subsoil are optimized by supplying oxygen and nutrients  and
circulating the water.

The first Dutch research into in-situ biorestoration was a feasibility  study,
carried  out  by  Delft Geotechnics, to evaluate the scope of an in-situ soil-
venting  technique  (van  Eyk  and  Vreeken,  1988).  The  RIVM  and  the  TNO
(Netherlands  Organization  for  Applied  Scientific Research) are preparing a
full-scale clean-up by means of a literature study and  extensive  experiments
on  laboratory-scale  since 1985 (Verheul et.al., 1988). However, a clear need
for information from full-scale clean-up projects and from foreign  experience
was  still felt. From literature and international contacts is was known, that
especially in the  USA  experience  with  this  technology  had  been  gained.
Besides,  developments were also under way in West Germany (Nagel et.al., 1982
and others).
While the problem of soil and water contamination also became evident in other
countries,  interest  in  remediation  techniques,  and   especially   in-situ
technologies,  increased.  This emerged at the first international workshop of
the NATO/CCMS pilot project on "Demonstration of Remedial Action  Technologies
for  Contaminated  Land  and  Groundwater"  in  spring  1987.  Several western
countries, including the Netherlands and the USA  are  participating  in  this
pilot project.
This was sufficient reason for the RIVM to start this evaluation in late 1987.
The  author  was awarded a fellowship of the NATO/CCMS project. Because of its
relevance to the development of remediation techniques in the Netherlands, the
study is partly financed by The Netherlands Integrated Soil Research program.

The project is limited to the Netherlands,  West  Germany  and  the  USA.  The
fellowship  project  was  implemented by visiting 23 projects in this field in
these three countries, which  play  a  leading  role  in  the  development  of
remediation  techniques  for contaminated soil and groundwater. An overview of
the projects is given in the appendix.
Information, results and data are directly obtained from the experts involved.
Total information is arranged,.and conclusions are drawn in this final  paper.
A  more  comprehensive report, including detailed information from the visited
projects, is  in  print  (Staps,  1989 ).  Information  concerning  analytical
procedures is also included in this report.

EVALUATION OF IN-SITU BIORESTORATION PROJECTS

Introduction

Although  not  all  organizations  dealing  with  in-situ  biorestoration  are
included,  the 23 projects chosen do provide a good idea of the feasibility of
this technology. The concerning group of 23 organizations consisted of fifteen
private  companies, three institutes, two universities, one co-operation of an
institute, a university and a coast guard, and one air force.
A  schematical overview of the projects, including several characteristics, is
given  in the appendix. Projects U8 and U9 cannot really be regarded as in-situ

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                                    - 4 -
blorestoration  projects,  because  in both cases biprestoration does not take
place in the original location. The clean-up site in project U8 is  a  lagoon,
and in the case of U9, the clean-up consists of on-site landfarming.  These two
projects are not  included  in  this  chapter,  but,  because  of  the  direct
relationship to the other projects, they are included in the general overview.
Other divergent projects are N5 and U5; both are research projects, where  the
contamination  has been caused deliberately. Moreover, project N5 is deviating
because the biostimulation is performed only by venting of the soil,  and  thus
is limited to the unsaturated zone.
Projects D5 and D6 differ from the other ones in that they are
conceptual  phase,  and  data  from  demonstration  scale
available.
A   substantial   proportion   of   the  remaining  group
biorestoration  projects  is  characterized  by  research
     still  in  the
test are as yet not

of  "real"  in-situ
aspects,  with  the
majority having been set-up as a research project (Nl, D2, U3, U5, U6).
Background of the sites at which in-situ biorestoration has been or  is
applied
              being
The locations at which  in-situ biorestoration has been or is being applied can
be divided  into two main groups:
- filling stations  (service stations, airforce bases,  marshaling  yards,  bus
  stations) with leaking pipelines or storage tanks,
- chemical  industry sites, mainly  (former) refineries.

All   locations  were  contaminated with hydrocarbons, for the most part defined
as  petrol  and/or  diesel.  At  airforce  bases,  also   kerosene   or   JP-4
contaminations   occur.   One-fifth  of  the  projects  concerned  chlorinated
hydrocarbons. The smallest group of  locations was contaminated with PAHs or  a
mixture  of chlorinated hydrocarbons, mineral oil and PAHs. The latter has not
yet been demonstrated.

Preliminary site characterization

The surface area of the sites at which2  in-situ  biorestoration  was  applied,
varies  largely;  from  20 to 75,000 m  .Within  this variety, two clear groups
can be distinguished. The first group   is2 formed  by  filling  stations;  the
surface  area  is   mainly  400   -  1,000  m  . The  second group consists of large
chemical industry and (former) yefinery  sites, and here, the area  is  varying
between  20,000 and  75,000  m  .  The   depth  upto which the contamination is
dispersed  is  generally  between 3 and 10  meters below surface level.
It  was  striking   that the  discovery of  a second contamination during the
cleanup-process occurred at  several  projects.

In   relation  with  soil   structure  and  geology, nearly all locations  can be
defined as sandy. At several places, clay  layers  are  present.  Only   in  an
exceptional  case,  in-situ biorestoration  is applied at a site with overburden
clay and fractured bedrock.
Concerning  geology,   permeability  is   a  very  important parameter for in-situ
biorestojation. For the projects3reviewed, the Kf-value  varied  between 10
 and  10" m/s,  mainly having 10"  -10"   as  order  of magnitude. Generally, a Kf-
value of 10"   is regarded as being the   minimum permeability  for  successful
 application of in-situ biorestoration.

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                                    - 5 -
Preliminary biodegradation research

In  order  to  decide  whether  in-situ. biorestoration  can  be  applied at a
contaminated site, microbiological, hydrogeological and chemical aspects  must
be  regarded.  Hydrogeological  conditions include permeability, dispersion of
contaminants, groundwater level  and  flow.  The  parameters  which  might  be
considered before chosing or designing in-situ biorestoration are:
- Microbial  parameters   (total   cell   count,   nitrifiers,   denitrifiers,
 . hydrocarbon degraders)
- Oxygen demand
- Nutrient demand
- Contaminant degradation rate
- Bio-availability.

Total cell count forms the base for research on populations of microorganisms.
Parameters  in  relation  with  biological  activity  are an important part of
microbial research. For in-situ biorestoration, the number of metabolic active
organisms  and enzyme samples are important as an indicator for biodegradation
in the subsurface. As regards hydrocarbon contamination, determination of  the
percentage of hydrocarbon degraders is an important monitoring aspect too.
Besides, there is a large group of relevant physical and chemical  parameters,
including  permeability,  pH, oxygen, redox conditions, temperature, TOG, DOC,
BOD, Fe-concentration,  Mn-concentration,  concentration  of  (heavy)  metals,
N    , ,  ammonium-concentration,  nitrate-concentration, nitrite-concentration
ana pnosphate-concentration.

A  high  permeability  is  one  of  the  conditions  for  a successful in-situ
biorestoration.
Soil pH may affect sorption of ionizable compounds in addition to limiting the
types of microorganisms in  the  subsurface.  Hethanogenes,  which  have  been
implicated  in  mineralization of some aromatic hydrocarbons, are inhibited at
pH values below 6  (Lee et.al., 1988).
Biodegradation  of many organic pollutants in the subsurface may be limited by
insufficient concentrations of oxygen or unfavourable redox conditions.
Also temperature influences microbial metabolism of subsurface pollutants. The
temperature of the upper 10 m of the subsurface may vary seasonably.  However,
in  the  Netherlands,  it  will  not  deviate-much from 10°C. Also below 10 m,
temperature will be about this value. It is important to  keep  this  in  mind
when comparing results from projects in for example Florida (U6) or California
(U5) where much higher temperatures (20-25 C) are measured with projects  from
other regions.
Total organic carbon (TOO, dissolved organic carbon  (DOC),  chemical  oxygen
demand  (COD)  and  biological oxygen demand (BOD) are sum parameters. TOC and
DOC are direct parameters for the carbon concentration of  organic  compounds.
Decreasing concentrations of TOC and BOD values indicate mineralization of the
organic contaminants.
Determination   of   Fe  and  Mn  concentrations  is  important  because  high
concentrations  of  these  metals  can  cause  precipitation   under   aerobic
conditions,  caused  by  the  infiltration of oxygen during the biorestoration
process.
Other heavy metals can be important, especially at contaminated sites, because
at toxic levels, they can inhibit the activity of microorganisms.
Inorganic  nutrients  like  nitrogen  and  phosphorus may be limiting when the
carbon/nitrogen/phosphorus (C:N:P) ratio  is  unfavourable.  Determination  of

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                                    - 6 -
ammonium,  nitrate and nitrite gives insight in the stage of the conditions in
the subsoil.

After   the   characterization   of   the   site   regarding  microbiological,
hydrogeological and chemical/physical parameters,  a  first  decision  can  be
taken  whether  in-situ  biorestoration  is  applicable  at  a  specific site.
However,  there  is   no   one-and-only   application   method   for   in-situ
biorestoration.  If the option of in-situ biorestoration is chosen, nearly all
visited organizations perform preliminary biotreatment studies  on  laboratory
scale  to  get insight in the optimal stimulatory actions for a biodegradation
process at the  site  and  to  choose  the  right  combination  of  microbial,
hydrogeological  and  physical/chemical  actions. Only organizations with very
broad experience in the field of  pump-and-treat  and  in-situ  biorestoration
design  a site-specific in-situ biorestoration system almost directly based on
the site characteristics (Ul, U7). A large majority of the  projects  included
preliminary • laboratory  research,  both  small-scale  tests  and  percolation
studies in columns. In  a  few  cases,  field  experiments  in  a  small  area
representative of the contaminated site have also been performed.

System design

Description of the installation

In-situ biorestoration involves  the  stimulation  of  the  biodegradation  of
contaminants  at  contaminated  sites  without excavation of the soil. In this
process, the soil of the contaminated location is used as  a  bioreactor  (see
figure 1).                                       ,,;  ,

The specifications of the  "bioreactor11  in  the  subsoil  are  based  on  the
characteristics  of the contaminated site, and the objectives and requirements
of the clean-up. They include for example the type  and  distribution  of  the
contaminants  in  the subsoil, the soil geology and hydrology and the need for
isolation of the location.
In  most  cases  a  semi-closed  configuration is used in such a way, that the
contaminated location is isolated and controlled;  uncontaminated  groundwater
can  enter  the contaminated site, but contaminated groundwater cannot move to
uncontaminated areas.
The site can be isolated using hydrological intervention technologies or civil
engineering operations. In general, a  hydrological  system  is. designed,  in
which   the   groundwater  is  centrally  withdrawn,  and  after  above-ground
treatment, reinfiltrated at several points on the periphery of  the  location.
The  groundwater  is  withdrawn  at  a higher rate than it is infiltrated, the
surplus generally being discharged into a sewer.
To  support degradation in the subsurface, an above-ground treatment system is
used to  degrade  the  contaminants  in  -the  withdrawn  groundwater,  and  to
condition the water before re-infiltration.
Biodegradation relies entirely on the contact between the contaminants (in the
water  phase) and the microorganisms. In the case of highly volatile compounds
as contaminants, clean-up can  partly  be  achieved  by  vaporization  of  the
unsaturated  zone  using a soil venting system, as is shown in project N4. The
contaminated exhaust air can be  treated  above  ground  by  adsorbtion  (e.g.
activated  carbon)  or oxidation in a biological, thermal or catalytic manner.
Research project N5 describes the design of an in-situ  soil  venting  system,
used   both   as   a   physical   (evaporation)   and   a  biological  process

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                                     - 7 -
(biodegradations).   This  system  can  be  used  for   contaminations  in   the
unsaturated zone.

                                                        compost filter
                                                        catalytic oxidation
                 Addition of H202/N°3/02/Qir/°3
                 Addition of nutrients
                 Addition of micros-organisms
                 Heating      '
   discharge /•>
   well
                                                              - land level
                                                                 contamination
                                                               groundwater-level
         ^3 discharge well
               .
               11 monitoring well
11 monitoring well
                             clay layer

Figure  1.  General scheme of in-situ biorestoration.

There are  several options for reinfiltration:
- injection wells
- infiltration galleries
- surface  application.

Infiltration  into  the  saturated  zone   through  injection wells  is  the most
direct  method, but also has  disadvantages:   oxygen  and  nutrients are  only
poorly   delivered  to  the  unsaturated  zone and the wells have small surface
areas.  Therefore, they can prone to clogging.  The installation cost decreases
in  the  order:  injection wells, infiltration galleries and surface application.
When visiting the projects, it appeared that infiltration galleries were  used
nearly   twice  as often as injection wells.  Surface application is  only rarely
used.
At   one research  project  (U6,  Downey   1988),   the  three options were used
simultaneously in order to gain insight in their applicability.

As   regards the above-ground treatment, the first part is generally a  sandbox.
Undissolved contaminants  are  removed in  an  oil/water  separator.   An   air
stripper  is  used  to  remove  volatile   contaminants.  In  a  few projects,
biological systems, such as  a  trickling, filter,  were  used  for degrading
dissolved  compounds.

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                                    - 8 -
When required by the legislator, the contaminated air from the air stripper is
oxidized  in  order to bring about degradation of the contamination instead of
moving the contaminants from one compartment (groundwater) to  another  (air).
In  the  Netherlands,  this is performed using a biological compost filter, in
which adapted microorganisms degrade the contaminants. In the  USA,  catalytic
oxidation systems are employed.

Hydrological aspects

In  general,  in-situ  biorestoration  is performed by means of saturating the
subsoil. The main hydrological steps taken consist of  central  withdrawal  of
the  groundwater  and  reinfiltration  at  several  injection  points  on  the
periphery of the location. Groundwater is withdrawn at a higher rate  than  it
is infiltrated. This occurred at about 95% of the locations.

At two projects, in-situ biorestoration was performed without water saturation
(D2  and  D4).  However,  saturating  the soil makes it easier to optimize the
environmental conditions in the soil with respect to other parameters like pH,
oxygen  content,  nutrients,  etc.  It  depends on the site-specific situation
whether saturation and other optimizations will be chosen,  or  no  saturation
and  fewer  other  optimizations.  However,  in  most cases, saturation is the
preferred method.

Oxygen supply

As  far  as  is  known,  in-situ  biorestoration  has  only  been  applied  to
hydrocarbon-contaminated  sites.  In  order to initiate hydrocarbon oxidation,
microbial populations utilize oxygen:

                 C6H6 4- 7k02 -*  6C02 + 3H20     (for benzene) .

As a result of   the  contamination,  the  subsoil  of  contaminated  sites  is
anaerobic,  or   contains  very  low concentrations of oxygen. Therefore, oxygen
has to be  supplied for in-situ  biorestoration. Sources of oxygen include   air,
pure  oxygen  and hydrogen peroxide. Subsequent oxidation  can also be sustained
by alternative  electron acceptors, for example nitrate.
Lack of oxygen  or necessary redox conditions will limit in-situ biorestoration
of contaminated soil and groundwater. When  applying  in-situ biorestoration in
practice,  oxygen is  usually the- limiting  factor.
The alternatives to  oxygen supply used  in the  projects visited were:
 - air
 - pure  oxygen
 - hydrogen peroxide
 - nitrate
 - nitrate / ozone
 - methane / oxygen

 Oxygen sources

 The simplest method of supplying oxygen is  aeration.  However,  the    amount of
 oxygen  that  can  be  added  with  air is  strongly limited:  only 8  mg/1  under
 normal groundwater conditions (table 1).  As a result,  very  large  volumes of
 oxygenated  water  may  have  to  be infiltrated at the  contaminated site, and

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                                    - 9 -
because of permeability constraints, the remediation time is  then  relatively
long.

Table 1.  Available quantities of oxygen from different sources.
                  air-saturated
                     water	
              02-saturated
                 water	
             H202
         NO,
             200 mg/1  200 mg/1
available oxygen
(me/1 at 10°C')
10
40
94
168
As shown in table 1, this problem can be overcome in  part  by  using  pure
oxygen (40 mg 02/1) or hydrogen peroxide (100 mg 02/1 from 200 ppm H202):
                            H202
                H20
Hydrogen peroxide is toxic at higher concentrations and can therefore  only
be  used  up  to  a  limited  concentration.  In  the  case  of  H202,  the
bioremediation  is  usually  started  with  low  concentrations  (40-50  mg
H202/l),  or even with pure oxygen. The objective of this measure is to let
the indigenous population of microorganisms  acclimate  to  the  oxygenated
environment. Once the population is acclimated, the peroxide concentrations
can be  increased in increments of approximately 50 to 250 ppm in  intervals
increasing  from  approximately  one  week to one month (U3), to achieve an
increased infiltration of oxygen.  Such  a  gradual  increase  of  peroxide
concentrations  can  be  continued  up to a concentration of about 1000 ppm
H202.
In  the initial phase of biorestoration, the oxygen supplied is utilized by
the  microorganisms  in  the  vicinity  of  the  infiltration  point.  When
contaminants in this area have been degraded, the oxygen can be transported
over larger distances, and biodegradation  will  then  occur  in  an  area,
further away  from  the  infiltration  point. This process continues until
oxygen  breakthrough at the withdrawal wells.
An  important  aspect  with  respect  to  peroxide  is  its  stability.  As
remediation of the site progresses, the H202 must be  carried  increasingly
longer  distances.  This means that H202 must be stable in order to deliver
the oxygen to the area where it is needed. The decomposition of peroxide is
catalyzed  by metals, such as iron and manganese. H202 can also be degraded
by the  bacterial cell, with the enzyme catalase serving as the catalyst. On
the  other hand, phosphate can stabilize hydrogen peroxide (Britton, 1985).
This is actually performed at demonstration projects. The form of phosphate
is  mostly  monophosphate.  To  reduce  phosphate adsorbtion to the soil, a
combination of simple and complex polyphosphate salts can  be  used  (Brown
et.al., 1986). The use of phosphate solutions is twofold: as a nutrient, it
also has a positive influence  on  the  biodegradation  when  the  original
concentration of phosphate is too low.

Nitrate as electron acceptor

Nitrate can  serve  as  an  electron  acceptor.  Comprehensive  fundamental
research  regarding  the  use of nitrate has been performed in West Germany
(Riss et.al., 1987). Here, laboratory research showed that nitrate can only
be  utilized when a first phase with elementary oxygen has passed, and when

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                                    - 10 -
the nitrate is present under anaerobic conditions.   There  has  not  always
been  given  satisfaction  to these preconditions when applying nitrate for
in-situ biorestoration (see e.g. projects Nl and N4).
As  is shown in table 1, one part of nitrate is equivalent to 0.84 parts of
oxygen. Take, for example, the oxidation of methanol:

                       1.5 02 + CH3OH -* C02 + 2 H20

   NOg + 1.08 CHgOH + H+ -» 0.065 C6H7N02 + 0.47 N2 -I- 0.76 C02 + 2.44 H20

(Brown, 1989).
Until now, application of nitrate has only occurred in a few German  states
and  only  incidentally  in  other  countries.   Application might encounter
licensing problems. In project N4,  nitrate  is  added  to  the  oxygenated
infiltrating ' water.  Nitrate  will also be used at project U3 as part of a
research program.  Utilization  of  nitrate  could  not  be  determined  in
research project Nl (Verheul et.al., 1988).
In project D9, a combination of ozone and  nitrate  has  been  used:  ozone
above  ground,  to  treat the water and oxygenate the organic contaminants;
nitrate in-situ, in the subsoil, to  serve  as  an  electron  acceptor  for
subsequent biodegradation by the microorganisms.

Co-metabolism                                                      -'-

At one research project (U5), biodegradation of  chlorinated  compounds  by
methane-oxidizing   bacteria   (methanotrophs)   involves  stimulating  the
population with methane- and oxygen-containing water.  Hethanotrophs  obtain
energy  from  the  oxidation of methane. They synthesize the enzyme methane
monooxygenase, which catalyzes the first step in the oxidation of  methane,
which  they  use  for  energy and growth. Monooxygenase oxidizes a range of
hydrocarbons, and appears to bring about  the  epoxidation  of  chlorinated
alkenes (co-metabolism):
                  CHC1-CHC1 + H20
CHC10CHC1 + 2H  + 2e
These epoxides are unstable in water and hydrolyze to a variety of products
which can be oxidized readily by other heterotrophic bacteria to  inorganic
end products (McCarty et.al., 1989, Janssen et.al., 1987).

Comparison of oxygen sources

Table  2  shows  a   comparison  for  various  oxygen systems for a severely
contaminated site.

It  can be concluded, that there is a wide range in both cost effectiveness
and in treatment effectiveness. For example, venting can only be applied in
the vadose zone. In  terms of cost effectiveness, the order is:

      venting » peroxide > nitrate > air sparger > water injection

while in order of treatment effectiveness, the order is

      peroxide - nitrate > water injection > venting > air sparging.

-------
                                     -  11  -
Table 2. Cost/performance  comparison  for  various  oxygen  systems;   high
         degree of contamination.
            	Costs   {$)	Performance	
   System     Capital    Operation  Maintenance  kg/Day $ Site  Utilization   Tine of  S/kg oxygen
                                      Oxygen Treated  Efficiency %  Treatment   Used
Air Sparging
Water Injection
Venting System
Peroxide System
Nitrate System
35
77
88
60
120
,000
,000
,500
.000
,000
800/nonth
1200/roonth
1500/month
10.000/month
6500/month
1200/month
1000/raonth
1000/month
1500/month
1000/month
3
4
1810
86
96
41
75
60
100
100
70
50
5
15
12.5
858
1580
132
330
335
days
days
days
days
days
57.
62.
8.
41.
49.
-
-
-
-
-
                                                        (Brown, 1989)
The  choice  of an oxygen supply  is most dependent on the contaminant load,
the mass transfer and   the  ease   of   transport  and  utilization.  At  low
concentrations,  simple systems,  such  as  air sparging, become more cost
effective.

Nutrient supply

The biodegradation rate will  be limited when inorganic nutrients,  such  as
nitrogen  and  phosphorus,  are present in limiting concentrations or mutual
ratio's.  Regarding  contaminated sites,  the  presence  of  nitrogen  and
phosphorus  should be viewed  in relation with the carbon concentration from
the contaminants. In soil,  a  C:N:P ratio of 250:10:3 is  considered  to  be
optimal  for biodegradation.  Also other C:N:P-ratios, e.g. of 100:10:2 have
been chosen.
The need for nutrients  is dependent on the site characteristics. At certain
sites, nutrient addition can  be unnecessary. In other cases, increasing the
inorganic  concentrations at  one  time can be sufficient. If nutrient supply
is needed during the clean-up, nearly always batch-mode addition  has  been
chosen.
In order to satisfy  nutrient  requirements, a wide range of  components  can
be added. This includes compounds like NH4N03,-Na- and K-orthophosphate and
trace elements.
In a few projects, such as  Nl, addition of an easy degradable carbon source
(NaAc) enhanced the  initial degradation of hydrocarbons  during  laboratory
experiments.  However,  the  significance for demonstration scale seems to be
limited.

Addition of mlcrobial populations

Besides stimulating  the indigenous microbial population to degrade  organic
compounds  in  the subsurface, another option is to add microorganisms with
specific metabolic capabilities  to the subsurface. This is demonstrated  in
projects  D3,  D4 and D7. Soil samples are taken from the contaminated site
at spots where microorganisms occur,  for  example  at  the  edge  of  the
contamination. The microorganisms which are present at those spots, will be
adapted to the contamination  in  the  soil, and will be able to  degrade  the
contaminants.  The   samples  are   taken  to .the laboratory, where selection
occurs by enrichment culturing,   until  a  suspension  is  obtained  which
contains  the  selected microorganisms in high density. This suspension of

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                                    - 12 -
microorganisms  is  then  injected  with  the  infiltrating  water  at  the
contaminated  site.  The  objective  of this inoculation is to increase the
number of adapted microorganisms  at  the  site,  in  order  to  accelerate
biodegradation.
Another method to add microorganisms to  the  subsoil  is  applied  when  a
biological groundwater treatment plant is applied above ground (N2 and N4) .
The effluent of such an installation will contain large amounts of  adapted
hydrocarbon  degrading  microorganisms which are injected in the soil. In a
research project, also  inoculation  by  effluent  water  of  a  wastewater
treatment plant was used (project N5).
However, there is much uncertainty about the efficacy of  the  addition  of
microorganisms  to  the  subsoil  and  the  possibilities  of  transporting
bacteria through the soil, in order to get them at the spots where they are
needed.  Generally,  95%  of  the  soil  population tends to adsorb on soil
particles, whereas only 5% can be transported.

Results of the in-situ biorestoration projects

The projects visited differ widely in the clean-up results to be  obtained.
For  example, some projects do not aim to achieve a given concentration; on
the basis of the  clean-up  progress,  it  is  decided  what  the  residual
concentrations of contaminants should be.
There are much differences; in the Netherlands, the objectives set  by  the
legislator  are  generally 50 /jg mineral oil per liter (groundwater) and 50
mg/kg in the soil. In a few cases, this level can  be  200  pg/1  and  1000
mg/kg d.w. in the soil.
In relation with the residual concentrations, it  is  important  to  notice
that different objectives have been used; in several projects, the goal was
to reach low concentrations in the groundwater, whereas in  other  projects
low concentrations in the soil were decisive.

In the USA  and  West  Germany,  the  reported  objectives  varied  between
undetectable  levels  (mineral  oil)  in the groundwater and less than 5000
mg/kg in the soil.

As  regards  results of in-situ biorestoration, the visited projects can be
divided into three groups:

a) demonstration  projects that have been finished (N3, N5, D4, D7, D8, D9,
   Ul, U6)
b) demonstration  projects  that are under way  (N2, N4, Dl, D2, U2, U3, U4,
   U5, U7)
c) projects  which are in the stage of preparation of a field demonstration
   (Nl, D5, D6).

This  paragraph  is  limited to projects of groups a) and b). Table 3 shows
the results of the finished projects.

About  half  of  the in-situ biorestoration projects reviewed in this study
have been finished.

The  significance  of  the  results  appears  from  relating  the  residual
concentrations, which have been reached in the projects  finished,  to  the

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                                       -  13 -
corresponding  concentrations  of  the Netherlands examination framework for
soil pollutants.
Table 4  shows the relevant values  of this framework.
Table
3. Residual concentrations and remediation time
   biorestoration projects finished.
                  for   a  few  in^situ
Code
N3

N5

D4
D7
D8
D9

Ul
U2

U6
Contaminant
aromatics
mineral oil
BTX
diesel oil
diesel oil
fuel oil
diesel/arom.
aromatics
oil
gasoline
4-chloro-2-
me thy Ipheno 1
JP 4
Residual
concentration
< 30 /ig/1
< 200 Mg/1
< 5 mgAg
150 mgAg
4600 mgAg
< 100 mgAg
30 mgAg
non- detectable
levels
< 10 mgAg
> 80% of area
cleaned-up
550 kg he removed
Compartment
water
water
soil
soil
soil
soil
soil
water

soil
water

~ ~
Remediation time
("months')
6

12
18
12
9
3Xv
10 '

48
24

12
 x)  non-detectable  levels reached for part  of the contaminated area; clean-
    up was continued for gaining complete clean-up of the  site.

 Table 4. Relevant  part  of   the Netherlands examination  framework for  soil
          pollutants.

 Indicative values: A - reference value
                B - indicative value for further investigation
                C - indicative value for cleaning-up
 Presence in:
             soiKmg/kg dry weight)
              A	B	C_
groundwater (/tg/1)
 A	B	C
benzene
ethyUtenzene
toluene
zylene
phenols
aromatics (total)
polycycllc araBatic
total FAHs
flhlmHim*— » »-B— «««
aliphatic chlor.
comp. (total)
chlorophenols
(total)
mineral oil
0.05(d)
O.OS(d)
O.OS(d)
0.05(d)
O.OS(d)
-
Uydrocajjbo
1
T

-

*
0.5
5
3
5
1
7
am IfOft
20
7

1

1000
5
SO
30
SO
10
70

200
70

10

5000
0.2(d)
0.2(d)
0.2(d)
0.2(d)
0.2(d)
-

-
_

-

50(d)
1
20
IS
20
15
30

10
IS

0.5

200
5
60
SO
60
50
100

40
70

2

600
 * • reference value soil quality
 d • detection limit

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                                    - 14 -
As  regards  the  Netherlands  examination  framework  for soil pollutants,
residual concentrations below  B-level,  or  even  undetectable  levels  of
contaminants  have  been reached in the finished projects. Five out of nine
projects reach  the  A-level,  thus  meeting  the  standards  used  in  the
Netherlands.  Venting  (N5)  was  successful as regards volatile components
(petrol), but not for PAHs.

The results of the projects which are underway are generally promising.

Comparison of the results of the different in-situ biorestoration  projects
is  very  tricky.  This  is  mainly  caused by the application of different
methods, used in the course of the in-situ biorestoration projects:
- methods of soil and groundwater sampling and analysis,
- determination of physical and chemical site parameters.
Occasionally,  tht.re are also gaps in the total overview of the restoration
course.

The  total overview of the in-situ biorestoration projects, as presented in
the appendix, also shows the results in relation with other  aspects,  such
as soil structure, oxygen source, applied system and nutrients used.

The remediation time varied between 90 days and 4  years,   and  is  largely
dependent  on  the  site  characterization (soil structure) and the kind of
contaminants.

Costs for in-situ biorestoration

A wide range of site- and system characteristics and objectives  influences
total costs for in-situ biorestoration projects. These include:
- geology and soil structure
- type and concentrations of contamination
- distribution of contaminants in the subsoil
- total surface and volume of the contaminated area
- system characteristics: recirculation, water and gas treatment a.o.
Because  these aspects can vary significantly, the costs for completing the
projects can vary considerably.
It must be stressed that these figures should always be seen in relation to
other treatment techniques for a certain contaminated  location,   including
cost for excavation and transport.
The projects  can be  divided  into two main groups:
- petrol  stations  (approximately 400 - 1,000 m  ; 1,000
- refinery- aijd industrial sites (approximately 20,000
  - 400,000 m ).

Petrol  stations
5,000 m i
75,000 m
30,000
 Costs   for   in-situ biorestoration  at contaminated petrol stations varied
 between 62,000  and 750,000 US  $  (40-  250 ys  $/m  ). Included are  relatively
 cheap  projects  of approximately  60  US $/m  which could be performed without
 abovegroundwater treatment  (Ul)  or  without water recirculation (D4).

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                                    - 15 -
A  comprehensive  itemization  of  the  different  costs  for using in-situ
biorestoration to treat a specific petrol  station  is  shown  in  table  5
(Fournier, 1988).

It should be noted that, dependent on the situation,  the  contribution  of
hydrogen  peroxide  to the total cost of the operation can be substantially
higher; contributions of 90% have occurred.

Table 5. Estimated  costs  for  in-situ  biorestoration of a petrol station
         (Fournier, 1988).

Capital costs
Groundwater monitoring wells 5,000
Reinjection well
Nutrient and peroxide addition equipment
Recirculation equipment
EquipMnt total
PraliMinaxy site) assasraent costs
Laboratory tests
Field tests
Reports
Total pre)l$MixuuT teM^*-ii>g
Total initial expenditure*
Groundwater monitoring
Reinjection well maintenance
Chemical costs
Total ••""•»T costs
Present worth factor for 3 years
Present worth of OfiM costs
Present worth of ISB option
Total costs error 3 Tears
S


2,300
5,000
5.000
17,300

16,300
5,000
2.000
23,300
40,600
8,200
14,200
12.000
34,400
X 2.402
82,630
123,230
£143.800
Z





12




16




72



_122
Refinery- and industrial sites

Cost for in-situ biorestoration at refinery- and  industrial  sites  varied
between  330,000  and  16  millioj  US  $.  Again, especially system design
determines total cost: 7.- US $/m  if a relatively simple in-sijfu  type  of
landfarming  is  used  (D2)  up  to  approximately 150.- US $/m  for a more
complex system design.

From  the  information from the projects it can be concluded that operating
and maintenance costs account for about 2/3 of the total costs.  Generally,
1/3  of the costs is due to preliminary research and installation costs, in
about equal amounts.

In many cases in-situ biorestoration will be more cost-effective than other
techniques, such as incineration and soil washing of  the  excavated  soil,
possibly  combined  with  groundwater  treatment (approximately 70-170 $/m
excluding excavation and transport costs (Staps, 1989a)).

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                                    - 16 -
CONCLUSIONS

Application

- The  locations  at  which  in-situ  biorestoration  has  been used can be
  divided into two main groups:
  * filling  stations (service stations, airforce bases, marshalling yards,
    bus stations) with leaking pipelines or storage tanks (400 - 1,000 m2),
  * chemical industry sites, mainly (former) refineries (20,000-75,000 m ).

- With respect to soil structure and geology, nearly all locations  can  be
  defined  as  sandy.  Clay layers are present in several areas. Only in an
  exceptional case in-situ biorestoration is used at a site with overburden
  clay and fractured bedrock.

- Regarding hydrology, permeability is a very important parameter  for  in-
  situ  biore§toration8  In  the  projects  reviewed,  the  K_-yalue5varied
  between 10   and 10  m/s, but was mostly of the order of  10  -10    m/s.
  In  general,  a  K--value  of  10    m/s is regarded as being the minimum
  permeability   required   for   successful   application    of    in-situ
  biorestoration.

- All locations were contaminated with  hydrocarbons.  Most  contaminations
  are  defined  as  petrol and/or diesel. A few locations were contaminated
  with PAHs or a mixture of chlorinated hydrocarbons, mineral oil and PAHs.
  The  frequent  discovery of secondary sources of contamination points out
  that the characterization is not always sufficiently carried out.

Design

- The approach of in-situ biorestoration at the visited projects  could  be
  characterized  by  either a hydrological or a microbiological background.
  Only rarely, a good integration of both disciplines could be seen.

- The  decision for application of in-situ biorestoration can only be taken
  after    a    comprehensive    s ite-characterization.    The     specific
  characterization  of  the  contaminated site and preliminary biotreatment
  laboratory studies  (if possible followed  by  field  studies)  should  be
  performed   to  determine  optimal  stimulation  actions   and  thus  the
  different forms in which the technology can be applied.

- As  regards  hydrological  measures.  generally  a system is designed, in
  which the groundwater  is  centrally  withdrawn  and,  after  aboveground
  treatment,  is  reinfiltrated at several spots at  the outer border of the
  location. In order  to support  the  degradation  in  the  subsurface,  an
  aboveground  treatment  system is used to degrade  the contaminants in the
  groundwater which   is  pumped-up,  and  to  condition  the  water  before
  reinfiltration.

- As regards the aboveground treatment,  the  first  part  is  generally   a
  sandbox.  Undissolved contaminants are removed in  an oil/water separator.
  An air  stripper is  applied for removal of volatile contaminants. At a few
  projects,  biological  systems, such  as a trickling filter, were used for
  degradation of dissolved compounds.

-------
                                    - 17 -
- Recirculation  of  the  pumped-up groundwater has positive effects on the
  biodegradation in the soil.  This  may  be  due  to  the  infiltration  of
  degradation  products,  which are relatively easy to break down and which
  stimulate the activity of the microorganisms in the subsoil.

- The  contaminating  vapours  in  the  air  from  the  air stripper can be
  oxidated by means of a biological compost filter or a catalytic oxidizing
  system  in  order  to acquire degradation of the contamination instead of
  moving the contaminants from one  compartment  (groundwater)   to  another
  (air).

- On demonstration scale, most of the time the limiting factor  is  lack  of
  oxygen  or  necessary redox conditions. Hydrogen peroxide is  most popular
  as oxygen source. However, for certain applications it can be  relatively
  expensive.  Other  sources  are air, pure oxygen and nitrate  (as electron
  acceptor).  The  choice  for  a  system  is  based  on   cost-efficiency,
  contaminant load and the ease of transport and utilization.

- Necessary nutrient addition is fully dependent on the original  available
  nutrients  in  the  soil  and  the uptake by the microorganisms. Usually,
  addition of nitrogen and phosphorus is necessary. In a  few  cases,  also
  trace  elements have been supplied. Other projects could be biorestorated
  without any artificial supply of nutrients.

- The  effect  of  the adding detergents is still questionable. Fundamental
  research and most  practical  experience  indicate  that  the  effect  on
  degradation  is  negative. Clogging of the soil can occur when detergents
  are supplied, probably due to an  interaction  between  the  oil,  water,
  detergent and solid phase.

- Addition of microorganisms to the subsoil, with the aim of enhancing  the
  biodegradation,  is  being  used by a few companies. Although such supply
  will always have some beneficial effect, until now,  this  has  not  been
  proved.  Cost-benefit  calculations  are  also lacking. A major objection
  here is, that soil microorganisms tend to adsorb onto  (soil)  particles,
  and  consequently  cannot  be  transported  over  long  distances  in the
  subsoil. This implies that the effect of the inoculation is very limited.

White spots

- Bottle-necks in relation with in-situ biorestoration can be:
  * insufficient infiltration rates, mostly caused by clogging,
  * insufficient hydrological isolation,
  * relatively   long   remediation   period,   needed   for  reaching  low
    concentrations of contaminants,

- When   using   in-situ  biorestoration,  the  precise  fate  of  degraded
  hydrocarbons. such as  gasoline,  is  not  yet  known.  A  proportion  is
  transformed  to  leachable  DOC, another part to DIG, but a large part is
  still unaccounted for.
- With  the exception of project Nl, research on in-situ biorestoration has
  not provided knowledge about mass balances. When degradation occurred  in
  project  Nl, the percentages of leached and degraded aromatics were about

-------
                                    - 18 -
  the same. The aliphatics were  removed  by  degradation  only,   and  then
  almost completely.

Results and significance

- As   regards  feasibility,  in-situ  biorestoration  can  technologically
  compete with  other  technologies  when  it  is  applied  at  a  suitable
  location,  and  the  process  is  well  run.  As  regards the Netherlands
  examination framework for soil pollutants, residual concentrations  below
  B-level, or even undetectable levels of contaminants have been reached in
  most of the  finished  projects.  Contaminants  are  mainly  hydrocarbons
  (gasoline, diesel, mineral oil).
  The remediation time varies roughly between 3 months and 4 years, largely
  depending  on  the  initial concentrations, the kind of contaminants, the
  soil structure and the requirements which are set.  Concerning  practical
  projects 3without  research aspects, costs can vary between approximately
  40-80 $/m  . This means that in many  cases  in-situ  biorestoration  will
  alsg  be  more cost-effective than other techniques (approximately 70-170
  $/m  excluding excavation and transport costs (Staps, 1989 )).

RECOMMENDATIONS

General policy

- This  evaluation  included  the  visit  of  17  contaminated  sites,  and
  concludes  that in-situ biorestoration is a  promising  technology  for  a
  selection  of contaminated sites. However, it is important to notice that
  most spills, and  thus damage to  the environment and the spending of large
  amounts  of  money  for  remediation,  could  have been prevented by good
  house-keeping.  Therefore,  at   locations  where  spills   might   occur,
  prevention is recommended in the first place.

- The most fundamental recommendation that can be made from this study,  is
  to  stimulate the development of in-situ biorestoration. This study shows
  that the technology has  a large  potential. At present, it is important to
  collect reliable  (demonstration) data, which can be used in the  following
  areas:
  * optimization  of  the  technology, mainly regarding oxygen transport and
    utilization,  peroxide transport  and   stability   and   removal   of
    contaminant residuals  from soils  (bio-availability).
  * extending  the technology's range of applications,  especially   to  more
    recalcitrant contaminants.
  * development of  models  of  (in-situ) biorestoration.

 - In-situ   biorestoration  is  expected, to  be  a  promising  technology,
  especially for  application  at   contaminated  industrial  sites.   This  is
  mainly  because  of the minimal  physical impact  on the  environment,  caused
  by  the process;  industrial  activities can be  continued during the  clean-
  up.

 - When demanding certain residual concentration levels,  regulators  should
  not  only  consider  concentrations   in  the  groundwater, but also in the
   soil.  It should be prevented that an in-situ biorestoration project is
   finished   because  the  contamination  levels   in  the   groundwater  are

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                                    - 19 -


  sufficiently low, while significant concentrations are still  present  in
  the  unsaturated  zone  of the soil. Percolating water from precipitation
  will transport (a part of)  residual  contaminants  and  contaminate  the
  clean groundwater again, making a second clean-up operation necessary.

- The approach taken by the experts involved in  several  of  the  projects
  visited   can   be   characterized   by   either   a  hydrological  or  a
  microbiological background. However, in-situ biorestoration is  not  only
  pure  biotechnology,  but  is  indeed an integration of biotechnology and
  hydrology. Integration of a number of disciplines is indispensable.

- Because of the general complexity of soils,  the course of the degradation
  process  can  never  be  predicted  completely.  Therefore,    preliminary
  research,  both  in  the  laboratory  and  in  field tests will always be
  necessary. The field  tests  should  include  oxygen  utilization  rates,
  possible in-situ peroxide stability and potential clogging problems.
  Laboratory  methods  for   predicting   the    course   of   the   in-situ
  biodegradation should all be improved.

- There is a need for  more  sharing  of  meaningful  site  data  by  those
  experiencing  in  this  technology.  This is especially needed as regards
  data on peroxide stability and  transport,   oxygen  utilization  and  the
  removal of fuel residuals from soils. Therefore,  projects like Nl, U3 and
  U6 are very useful. An open policy of organizations  with  experience  of
  the  technology  can  expose  bottlenecks  concerning  both  practice and
  demonstration,  thereby  directing  the  research  of  universities   and
  institutes and making this research more valuable.

- Knowledge about modelling of transport behavior in the soil seems  to  be
  sufficient. Modelling of biodegradation processes in the soil however,  is
  still a difficult problem and requires further attention. A  precondition
  for  further  development  however  is the availability of representative
  data, which should be  published  by  the  experts  involved  in  in-situ
  biorestoration projects.

System design

- Venting  of  volatile contaminating compounds in the unsaturated zone and
  treatment of  these  components  above  ground  (possibly  combined  with
  recirculation  and  biorestoration  in  the  saturated zone)  seems to be a
  promising and cost-effective method calling for further attention.

- A combination of chemical treatment above ground and biological treatment
  in  the  subsoil  can  possibly  expand  the   application   of   in-situ
  biorestoration, especially to compounds which are more difficult to break
  down biologically (such as PAHs) and  more  readily  biodegraded  once  a
  first  oxidation step has taken place. Further research in this field can
  be recommended.
- Stimulation  of  the  biological  activity  by  heating  the infiltrating
  groundwater was  used  at  one  project  only  (D5).   Here,   it  was  not
  conclusively shown that this was a cost-effective method.  Measurements in
  test plots should be  conducted  to  demonstrate  whether  and  when  the
  heating effect is economical.

-------
                                    -  20 -
- There  is  much  uncertainty  about  the  efficacy  of  the  supply   and
  distribution of oxygen (-sources) in the subsoil.  Research_on alternative
  oxygen sources  (02,   H202)  and  electron  acceptors  (N03)   is   useful.
  Hydrogen  peroxide  is  a relatively expensive oxygen source,  the more so
  because only a very limited part of it  can  actively  be  used  for  the
  biodegradation of the contaminants; this is estimated to be approximately
  15% (Brown, 1989).

- In-situ  peroxide  stability must be greatly improved to provide  adequate
  oxygen downgradient of injection points.

- As   regards  inoculation,  the  selection  by  enrichment  culturing  is
  especially  performed  by  compounds  of  the   contamination.   A   very
  interesting  possibility would be to expand this technique to a selection
  for the tendency of microorganisms to adsorb  onto  soil  particles.  The
  small percentage of the population that does not tend to sorb, could thus
  be selected,  possibly  resulting  in  improved  biodegradation  in  situ
  because  these organisms can be carried a longer distance in the subsoil.
  This aspect needs further attention.

- Co-metabolism,  such  as  the  biodegradation by methanotrophes,  deserves
  more  attention   because   it   may   broaden   the   applicability   of
  biorestoration.

- Detergents could be useful with respect to the following aspects:
  * limitations  caused  by  the  low  availability  of contaminants to the
    microorganisms,
  * extension  of the applicability of in-situ biorestoration for compounds
    with a low solubility.
  In order to open up possibilities for these aspects, fundamental research
  into the  use  of  detergents  in  this  field  is  necessary.  Not  only
  artificial  supply  of  detergents  in  the in-situ biorestoration system
  should be considered, but also the possible use of  surfactants  produced
  by microorganisms in the soil.

Mass balances

- There  is  a  strong  need for mass balances on both laboratory and pilot
  plant scale. Mass balances will  improve the insight in  the   contribution
  of different processes in the total biodegradation process.

- The  limited possibilities to monitor biological activities in the soil is
  partly responsible for the lack  of knowledge about the process of in-situ
  biorestoration. The  development of  methods,  which  can  be  used  for
  monitoring the biological processes in  the soil, would greatly contribute
  to a better understanding  of  the  processes,  and  thereby,  to  a  more
  selective  and economical supply  of for  example oxygen and nutrients.

 - In order to gain a better  insight  into  the contribution of biodegradation
  to the total degradation process in the laboratory, a satisfactory method
  for  sterile  experiments   should be  developed.  The  methods   currently
  available  are  insufficient.

-------
                                       -  21 -
- The precise fate of  degradation products is not yet known.   A  proportion
  is  converted  to  leachable DOC,  another part  to DIG, but  a large part  is
  still  unaccounted  for.   Insight  into   the    quantity,    quality   and
  significance  of   degraded  hydrocarbons,  such  as  gasoline,  is needed,
  especially as regards the question of "how clean is clean?".

 Specific  problems

- More attention should be paid  to  the problem of clogging in the  subsoil,
  resulting  in  disappointing   infiltration  rates.  This   problem  can  be
  related  to different factors,  such as geology   (permeability),   excessive
  growth of microorganisms, or high concentrations of iron or manganese.

- Once relatively low   residual   (threshold)  concentrations  with  in-situ
  biorestoration have  been reached, the limiting factor usually becomes the
  availability of contaminants to  the microorganisms. This is in the region
  of,  for  example, less than 250 mg/kg of dry  soil in the  case of mineral
  oil.   When  cleaning  up  soil  contaminated   by  mineral   oil   in   the
  Netherlands,  residual  concentrations must always be less than 50 mg/kg.
  This makes the limiting factor in this   case,   principally  availability,
  even   more  important.  Further  fundamental   research   in  this  area  is
  recommended.

Overview

An  overview of the  most important recommendations is given in table 6.
 \
Table 6. General overview of  recommendations.
      |Policy
(System design
                                                      (Research
        stimulation of experience
        end (hexing of information
        integration of microbiology,
        hydrology and (soil-)
        chemistry
       • preliminary research
        including heating and
        mass balances
       ' consideration of both
        soil and groundwater
 * combination of bioresto-
  ration and venting-
 * problem of clogging
* oxygen:
  - supply and distribution
  - alternative oxygen
   sources
  - peroxide stability
* monitoring possibilities
* extension to broader
  application
* threshold concentrations
* eo-aetabolism
* addition of micro-organisms
•addition of detergents
* sterile experiments
* modelling of biorestoration
* combination of chemical ~-
  and biological treatment

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                                    - 22 -
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The  author  wishes  to acknowledge the experts visited who are involved in
in-situ  biorestoration  projects.   Without   their   contribution,   this
evaluation  could  never  have been made. The open discussions with many of
these experts gave considerable support to this report.

The  author  wishes  to  thank  Mr.  Donald  Sanning  of US-EPA Cincinnati,
director of the above mentioned NATO/CCMS Pilot study, who  has  played  an
important  role  in contacting key experts in in-situ biorestoration in the
USA.

LITERATURE

Brown,  R.A.  Oxygen  sources  for  biotechnological   application.   Paper
   presented' at  Biotechnology  Work  Group.  Feb.  21-23, 1989, Monterey,
   California.
Brown,   R.A. ,  Norris,  R.D.  and  Westray,  M.S.  In  situ  treatment  of
   groundwater. Presented at HAZPRO  '86,  The  Professional  Certification
   Symp. and Exp., Baltimore, Md., April 1986.
McCarty, P.L., Semprini, L. and Roberts, P.V. Methodologies for  evaluating
   the  feasibility  of  in-situ  biodegradation  of  halogenated aliphatic
   groundwater  contaminants  by   methanotrophs.    Proceedings,   AWMA/EPA
   Symposium  on  biosystems  for pollution control, Cincinnati, Ohio, Feb.
   21-23, 1989.
Downey,  D.C.  Enhanced Biodegradation of jet fuels. Eglin AFB, USA. A Case
   Study for the NATO/CCMS Pilot Study on Remedial Action Technologies  for
   Contaminated Land and Groundwater - November 1988.
Eyk, J. van and Vreeken, C. Venting-mediated removal of  hydrocarbons  from
   subsurface soilstrata as a result of stimulated evaporation and enhanced
   biodegradation. Proceedings of  Forum  for  Applied  Biotechnology.  The
   Faculty  of  Agricultural  Sciences.  State University of Gent, Belgium.
   Gent, September 29, 1988.
Fournier,  L.B.  An effective treatment for contaminated sites. Hydrocarbon
   Technology International, 1988, p. 207-210. Sterling Publishers, London.
Janssen,  D.B.,  Grobben,  G.  and  Witholt,  B.H.  Toxicity of chlorinated
   aliphatic hydrocarbons and degradation by methanotrophic consortia.  In:
   Neijssel,   O.M.,  Meer,  R.R.  van  der  and  Luyben,  K.C.A.M.  (Eds.)
   Proceedings of the fourth European Congress on  Biotechnology,  Vol.  3.
   Elsevier Science Publishers, Amsterdam. 1987.
Lee, M.D., Thomas, J.M., Borden, R.C.,  Bedient,  P.B.,  Wilson,  J.T.  and
   Ward,   C.H.   Biorestoration  of  aquifers  contaminated  with  organic
   compounds. CRC Critical Reviews in  Environmental  Control,  Volume  18,
   Issue 1 (1988), p. 29-89.
Nagel,  G. ,  Kuehn,  W. ,  Werner,  P.  and  Sontheimer,  H.  Sanitation  of
   groundwater    by    infiltration   of   ozone   treated   water.   GWF-
   wassser/abwasser, 123 (8): 399-407, 1982.
Riss,   Gerber   and  Schweisfurth.  Mikrobiologische  Untersuchungen  ttber
   wesentliche Faktoren  bei  der  unterirdischen  Beseitigung  organischer
   Altlasten  unter  anaeroben Bedingungen mit Nitratdosierung. Universitat
   des Saarlandes, Homburg/Saar. 1987.
Socz6,   E.R.  and  Staps,  J.J.M.  Review  of  biological  soil  treatment
   techniques in the Netherlands. In: Wolf, K., van  den  Brink,  W.J.  and

-------
                                    -  23 -
   Colon,  F.J.  (Eds.),  Contaminated Soil '88,  p.  663-670.  Kluwer Academic
   Publishers, 1988.
Staps,  J.J.M.  European experience in hydrocarbon contaminated groundwater
   and soil remediation.  RIVM-report no. 738708002. 1989a.
Staps,   J.J.M.  International  evaluation  of  in-situ  biorestoratign  of
   contaminated soil and groundwater. RIVM-report no.  73708006.  1989   (in
   press).
Verheul,  J.H.A.M.,  van  den  Berg,  R.  and  Eikelboom,  D.H.   In   situ
   biorestoration  of  a subsoil, contaminated with gasoline. In: Wolf, K.,
   van den Brink, W.J. and Colon, F.J. (Eds.), Contaminated  Soil  '88,  p.
   705-716. Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1988.

-------

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