540F92012
 SEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Research and
Development .
Washington, DC 20460
Office of Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
Washington, DC 20460
                                EPA/540/F-92/012
                       June 1993
Bioremediation
Field   Initiative
                               A cooperative effort of the U.S. EPA's Office of Research
                               and Development, Office of Solid Waste and Emergency
                               Response, and regional offices, and other federal
                               agencies, state agencies, industry, and universities to
                               expand the nation's field experience in bioremediation
                               technologies for Superfund and other contaminated sites.

                               Background

                               Many of today's more promising technologies for solving hazardous waste prob-
                               lems involve bioremediation, an engineered process that relies on microorganisms,
                               such as bacteria or fungi, to transform hazardous chemicals into less toxic or
                               nontoxic chemicals.  Until recently, however, the use of bioremediation has been
                               limited by a lack of information on the controlled application of biodegradative
                               processes to environmental cleanups.

                               In 1990, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established the Bioreme-
                               diation Field Initiative as part of its overall strategy to increase the use of bioreme-
                               diation to treat hazardous wastes at  Comprehensive Emergency  Response,
                               Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA or Superfund) and other contaminated
                               sites. Recognizing the need to gather data on the many  different waste types and
                               site conditions suitable for bioremediation, EPA's Superfund program made a major
                               investment in the Initiative. The Initiative is a cooperative effort among EPA's Office
                               of Research and Development (ORD), Office of Solid Waste and Emergency  Re-
                               sponse (OSWER), and regional offices, and other federal agencies, state agencies,
                               industry, and universities. It is joined with other public and private efforts in
                               bioremediation through EPA's Bioremediation Action Committee (BAC), an affili-
                               ation of government, industry, and academic representatives working jointly to
                               expand the use of bioremediation.

                               A driving force for the Bioremediation Field Initiative is the commitment by the
                               Superfund program to seek the development of more cost-effective solutions, such
                               as bioremediation, to provide more permanent treatment of contaminated sites. Some
                               45 Superfund projects have already selected bioremediation. These sites demonstrate
                               an ongoing commitment to deploy  state-of-the-art technology solutions.

                               Goals

                               The Initiative was launched with three primary goals:

                               • To more fully assess and document the performance of full-scale bioremediation
                                 field applications.

                               • To create a data base of current field data on progress in determining  the
                                 treatability of contaminants.
                                                                   ^Q: Printed on paper that contains at least
                                                                   Ss<7 50 percent recycled fiber.

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                                                                150-1
                     Federal Facility
                           6%
             UST9%         ^ Other 8%
    RCRA14%
                                      CERCLA 63%
Figure 1. Breakdown ofbioremediation sites by legislative authority.

•  To provide technical assistance to regional and state site
   managers using or considering bioremediation. Assis-
   tance is provided in various stages of cleanup activities,
   from site characterization to full-scale implementation.

Activities

Although most of the  sites in the Initiative are Superfund
sites, bioremediation also is being used to clean up contami-
nation at federal facilities, Resource Conservation and Recov-
ery Act (RCRA) sites, and Underground Storage Tank (UST)
sites. The Initiative is providing support to states and regions
for intensive evaluation of bioremediation at nine selected
hazardous waste sites. These  performance evaluations are
intended to generate data needed to define the capabilities of
bioremediation technology. These data will enable state and
EPA project managers,  consulting engineers, and industry to
make better informed decisions about applying bioremedia-
tion in the field. For field performance evaluations, sites are
nominated and selected through the  regional offices or
through the states with concurrence from the regional offices.
In addition to conducting performance evaluations, the In-
itiative has identified a  rapidly growing number of other sites
across the country that are considering, planning, or currently
operating  bioremediation technologies, or that have com-
pleted bioremediation activities. The Initiative currently is
monitoring progress at over 150 of these sites and creating an
electronic data base of site information. For each site, the data
base contains information on  contaminants, media, type of
        100i
                                            11
            Petroleum  Wood  Solvents Pesticides  Other
                   Preserving
                     Wastes
 Figure 2. Breakdown of sites by type of contamination.
     100-
                                                              (0
                                                              •8
            Soil
Ground  Sediments  Sludge
 Water
Surface
 Water
Figure 3. Number of sites treating each media type.
treatment, status of cleanup, capital costs, and operation and
maintenance costs.

Sites in the data base include federal facilities, Superfund
sites, RCRA sites, and UST sites. Over 60 percent of the sites
fall under CERCLA authority, but the Initiative has begun to
recognize an increasing number of sites under UST and
RCRA authority (Figure 1). Monitored sites are distributed
throughout all 10 EPA regions, with over 40 percent located
in Regions 5 and 9. Analysis of the data base reveals that
petroleum is the contaminant  most frequently bioremedi-
ated, with wood preserving wastes a close second (Figure 2).
Soil and ground water are the media most frequently treated
with bioremediation technologies (Figure 3). Sites in the data
base are undergoing a range of in situ and ex situ treatments,
including land treatment, bioventing, bioreactor treatment,
nutrient addition, and many other techniques.

The Initiative publishes a quarterly bulletin, entitled Bioreme-
diation in the Field, which is distributed to over 5,000 individu-
als involved  in the  application of bioremediation. The
bulletin contains a matrix of information on the status of sites
identified by the Initiative, as well as updates on performance
evaluations, new technologies, resources, and regulations.
Past articles have discussed an extensive program to remedi-
ate Air Force sites using bioventing, permitting issues related
to the disposal of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), the im-
pact of new land disposal restrictions on bioremediation, and
the use of encapsulated microorganisms for bioprevention
and bioremediation.

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Bioremediation  Field
Initiative Site  Profiles
   Libby Ground Water Superfund Site
   Libby, Montana

   Eielson Air Force Base Superfund Site
   Fairbanks, Alaska

   Hill Air Force Base Superfund Site
   Salt Lake City, Utah

   Public Service Company of Colorado
   Denver, Colorado

   Park City Pipeline
   Park City, Kansas

   Bendix Corporation/Allied Automotive
   Superfund Site
   St. Joseph, Michigan

   Escambia Wood Preserving Site—Brookhaven
   Brookhaven, Mississippi

   Reilly Tar and Chemical Corporation
   Superfund Site
   St. Louis Park, Minnesota

   West KL Avenue Landfill Superfund Site
   Kalamazoo, Michigan

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                             United States
                             Environmental Protection
                             Agency
                      Office of Research and
                      Development
                      Washington, DC 20460
             Office of Solid Waste and
             Emergency Response
             Washington, DC 20460
      SITE FACTS
Location: Libby, Montana

Laboratories/Agencies: U.S.
EPA Roberts. Kerr
Environmental Research
Laboratory {RSKERL), Utah
State University 
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in an aboveground fixed-film bioreactor; and (3) in
situ bioremediation of the upper aquifer.  Each
process is being evaluated with regard to design,
operation, monitoring, and performance. Figure 1
is a plan view of the site, showing the LTU, biore-
actor, and ground water injection systems.

Field Evaluation

Surface Soil Bioremediation. The LTU consists of two
adjacent 1-acre cells, lined with low-permeability
materials to minimize leachate infiltration from the
unit (see Figure 2). Contaminated soil is applied to
the cells in 9-in. lifts and treated until  target con-
taminant levels are achieved within each lift. Evalu-
ation of the  effectiveness of the land treatment
includes sampling the  soil in  the LTU, studying
field-scale treatment and toxicity reduction,  ana-
lyzing the influence of moisture and soil structure,
and calculating the mass balance of contaminants
in terms of soil and leachate.
Figure 2. Land treatment unit.

LTU soil analysis data will be used to determine the
statistical significance, confidence, and extent of
biodegradation at this site. Degradation kinetics
and toxicity reduction studies will generate data
that can be used to help assess overall bioremedia-
tion effectiveness and predict performance of simi-
lar bioremediation processes at other sites.
Aboveground Fixed-Film Bioreactor. Aboveground
treatment of ground water occurs in two fixed-film
reactors, which operate in series. The effluent from
these reactors  is amended with nutrients and re-
oxygenated prior to reinjection through an infiltra-
tion trench.  The Initiative will be monitoring the
performance of the bioreactors, including flow
composited sampling,  analysis of biofilm dynam-
ics, calculation of mass balance of contaminants,
and treatment  optimization.

In Situ Bioremediation of the Aquifer. The in situ biore-
mediation system involves addition of hydrogen
peroxide and  inorganic  nutrients  to stimulate
growth of contaminant-specific microbes. Evalu-
ation of this process will include  determining dis-
solved oxygen profiles across the site, sampling
aquifer material to identify contamination and cor-
relate microbial content, distinguishing between
abiotic and biotic effects, and correlating dissolved
oxygen uptake with biodegradation and toxicity
reduction.

Status
Currently, remediation of each lift of soil applied to
the LTU takes  32 to 163 days.  Based on these re-
sults, it is predicted that remediation of the 45,000
yd3 of contaminated soil will take 8 to 10 years.
Preliminary performance data on the fixed-film
bioreactors indicate that PAH and PCP removal is
taking place. Aquifer core samples have a chemi-
cally reduced condition, indicating that the site has
an abiotic as well as a biological oxygen demand.
Investigators plan several tests to differentiate be-
tween the abiotic and biotic oxygen demands.
  The Bioremediation Field Initiative was established in 1990 to expand the nation's field experience in bioremediation technologies.
  The Initiative's objectives are to more fully document the performance of full-scale applications of bioremediation; provide
  technical assistance to regional and state site managers; and provide information on treatability studies, design, and operation of
  bioremediation projects. The Initiative currently is performing field evaluations of bioremediation at eight other hazardous waste
  sites: Park City Pipeline, Park City, KS; Bendix Corporation/Allied Automotive Superfund.site, St. Joseph, MI; West KL Avenue
  Landfill Superfund site, Kalamazoo, MI; Eielson Air Force Base Superfund site, Fairbanks, AK; Hill Air Force Base Superfund site,
  Salt Lake City, UT; Escambia Wood Preserving Site—Brookhaven, Brookhaven, MS; Reflly Tar and Chemical Corporation
  Superfund site, St. Louis Park, MN; and Public Service Company, Denver, CO. To obtain profiles on these additional sites or to be
  added to the Initiative's mailing list, call 513-569-7562. For further information on the Bioremediation Field Initiative, contact Fran
  Kremer, Coordinator, Bioremediation Field Initiative, U,S, EPA, Office of Research and Development, 26 West Martin Luther King
  Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45268; or Nancy Dean, U.S, EPA, Technology Innovation Office, Office of Solid Waste and Emergency
  Response, 401M Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460.

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                             United States
                             Environmental Protection
                             Agency
                      Office of Research and
                      Development
                      Washington, DC 20460
Office of Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
Washington, DC 20460
vvEPA
       SITE FACTS
 Location: Fairbanks, Alaska

 Laboratories/Agencies: U.S.
 Air Force, US. EPA Risk
 Reduction Engineering
 Laboratory (RREt), US. EPA
 Region 10
 Media and Contaminants:
 JP-4 jet fuel in shallow
 unsaturated soil

 Treatment: Bioventing with
 active and passive soil warming

 Date of Initiative Selection:
 Spring 1991

 Objective: To examine the use
 of soil-warming technologies to
 enhance the effectiveness of
 bioventing jet fael-contamin-
 ated soil in a cold climate

 Bioremediation Field Initiative
 Contact: Greg Sayles, US. EPA
 RREL, 26 West Martin Luther
 King Drive, Cincinnati, OH
 45268
 Regional Contact: Mary Jane
 Nearman,US. EPA Region 10,
 1200 Sixth Avenue, Seattle, WA
 98101
Bioremediation  Field

Initiative Site Profile:


Eielson  Air Force  Base

Superfund Site


Background
Eielson Air Force Base (AFB) in Fairbanks, Alaska, is one of approxi-
mately 4,300 Air Force sites contaminated with petroleum hydrocar-
bons in soil.  The Air Force currently is implementing an extensive
program to examine the use of bioventing to remediate many of these
sites. This program was developed based on preliminary results from
Eielson and Hill AFBs, where the Air Force and the U.S. EPA Risk
Reduction Engineering Laboratory (RREL)  are conducting joint field
evaluations of bioventing. (Activities at Hill AFB are summarized in
a separate fact sheet.) The results from Eielson AFB will help deter-
mine whether bioventing can be pursued at other cold-climate sites in
the northern United States.

Characterization
The soil at the Eielson site is a mixture of sand and silt contaminated
with JP-4 jet fuel from a depth of roughly 2 ft to the water table at 6 to
7 ft.  Prior to bioventing, hydrocarbon concentrations in the soil gas
ranged from 600  to 40,000 mg/kg. Although the site is not in the
permafrost region, soil temperatures in winter drop to nearly 0°C.
Researchers believe that using soil-warming  measures to promote
high-rate, year-round bioremediation will cost less overall than sus-
taining low-rate bioremediation at ambient temperatures for an ex-
tended period of time.

Field Evaluation
A 1-acre contaminated area was divided into three 50-ft square seg-
ments (see Figure 1). One  plot, which receives bioventing without
heating, serves as a control. The two other plots each undergo one of
the following soil-warming techniques:
Passive warming. Plastic covering (mulch)  is used to enhance solar
warming in late spring, summer, and early fall. During the remainder
of the year, heat is retained by applying insulation to the surface.
Active warming. Ground water is circulated to an electric heater, heated
to 35°C, and reinjected below the ground surface to the contaminated
soil. The heated water is applied at a very low rate (1 gpm) by five

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   Passive
        I©
O
                        Control
                            O
                       \
                                           N
_9
 o
   Active
    I   Site Trailer

  Active Warming System
           @) -Ground water monitoring well

           O - Air injection/withdrawal well
           ^ - Three-level soil gas probe
           • - Three-level thermocouple probe
                            0   25'   50'
                                Scale
Figure 1. Plan view of actively heated, passively heated, and un-
heated plots.

soaker hoses, placed 2 ft below the surface. The
surface is covered with insulation year round.

The passive warming system is being operated by
the Air Force (see Figure 2). RREL is operating the
active warming system. Air injection/withdrawal
Figure 2. Passively heated plot covered rvith insulation.
wells are distributed uniformly at 30-ft intervals
among the three plots. Air is injected to each well
at a rate of 2.5 fr/min, providing the  plots with
relatively uniform aeration. Three-level gas moni-
toring wells and three-level temperature probes are
distributed throughout the site.

In  situ  respirometry  tests  are conducted  peri-
odically to measure the in situ rate of oxygen up-
take by the microorganisms. During these tests,
researchers shut off air injection for 4 to 8 days and
monitor the soil gas oxygen concentration over
time. The  decrease in oxygen concentration, less
that observed in a background  area, indicates the
rate of biodegradation in the contaminated soil.

Status

Researchers began venting air and trickling un-
heated water to the actively warmed plot in Sep-
tember  1991.  Warming of  the water began  in
October 1991. In January 1992, researchers deter-
mined that all three plots were aerated adequately,
with soil gas oxygen levels ranging from 12 to 20
percent. The temperature remained above 10°C in
the actively  warmed plot, while temperatures in
the passively warmed plot  and the control plot
dropped to near 0°C.   Measured biodegradation
rates were twice as high in the actively warmed
area as they were in the control.  Furthermore, the
degradation rate of 2.9 mg/kg/day in the actively
warmed plot is comparable to rates observed at
bioventing projects in moderate climates.  In Au-
gust  1992,  the temperature  of   the  passively
warmed plot was 4°C warmer than that of  the
control plot, suggesting that passive warming is
somewhat  effective.  An  economic analysis  is
planned to determine which warming method, if
either, is more cost effective.
  The Bioremediation Field Initiative wasestablished in 1990 to expand the nation's field experience in bioremediation technologies.
  The Initiative's objectives are to more fully document the performance of fall-scale applications of bioremediation; provide
  technical assistance to regional and state site managers; and provide information on treatability studies, design, and operation of
  bioremediation projects. The Initiative currently is performing field evaluations of bioremediation at eight other hazardous waste
  sites; Libby Ground Water Superfund site, Libby, MT; Park City Pipeline, Park City, KS; Bendix Corporation/Allied Automotive
  Superfund site, St. Joseph, MI; West KL Avenue Landfill Superfund site, Kalamazoo, MI; Hffl Air Force Base Superfund site, Salt
  Lake City, 0T; Escambia Wood Preserving Site-^Brookhaven, Brookhaven, MS; Reflly tar and Chemical Corporation Superfund
  site, St. Louis Park, MM; and Public Service Company, Denver, CO. To obtain profiles on these additional sites or to be added to
  the Initiative's mailing list, call 513-569-7562. For further information on the Bioremediation Field Initiative, contact Fran Kremer,
  Coordinator, Bioremediation Field Initiative, U,S. EPA, Office of Research and Development, 26 West Martin Luther King Drive,
  Cincinnati, OH 45268; or Nancy Dean, U.S. EPA, Technology Innovation Office, Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response,
  401M Street, SW., Washington, DC 20460.

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                              United States
                              Environmental Protection
                              Agency
                      Office of Research and
                      Development
                      Washington, DC 20460
Office of Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
Washington, DC 20460
vvEPA
       SITE FACTS
  Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
  Laboratories/Agencies: U.S.
  Air Force, U.S. EPARisk
  Reduction Engineering
  Laboratory (RREL), US. EPA
  Regions
  Media and Contaminants:
  JP-4 jet fuel in unsaturated soil
  Treatment: Bioventing
  Date of Initiative Selection:
  Spring 1991
  Objective: To evaluate the
  effectiveness of bioventing jet
  fuel in deep vadose zone soil
  Bioremediation Field initiative
  Contact: GregSayies,US.EPA
  RREL, 26 West Martin Luther
  King Drive, Cincinnati, OH
  45268
  Regional Contact: Robert
  Stiles, U.S. EPA Region 8,
  99918th Street, Denver, CO
  80202-2466
Bioremediation Field
Initiative Site  Profile:
Hill Air  Force Base
Superfund  Site
Background
Hill Air Force Base (AFB) near Salt Lake City, Utah, is the site for one
of two projects the Bioremediation Field Initiative is undertaking in
cooperation with the U.S. EPA Risk Reduction Engineering Labora-
tory (RREL) and the U.S. Air Force to biovent JP-4 jet fuel spills. The
other, at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska, is described in a separate
fact sheet.
Bioventing is the process of supplying oxygen in situ to oxygen-de-
prived soil microbes by forcing air through contaminated soil at low
airflow rates. Because bioventing equipment is relatively noninva-
sive, this technology is especially valuable for treating contaminated
soils at military bases, industrial complexes, and gas stations, where
structures and utilities cannot be disturbed.
At Hill AFB, the objectives of the Initiative are to gain experience in
bioventing large volumes of soil and determine the effect of airflow rate
on biodegradation and volatilization rates. The challenges at this site are
(1) to biodegrade contamination that extends deep beneath the surface
and (2) to biovent the fuel plume under roads, underground utilities, and
buildings.

Characterization
The Hill AFB site is contaminated with JP-4  fuel from a depth of
approximately 35 ft to the ground water, which occurs at 95 ft below
the surface. The contaminated soil is a mixture of sand, silty sand, and
sand interspersed with gravel and clay. Soil samples taken in Septem-
ber 1991 revealed an average  total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH)
level of 890 mg/kg, ranging up to 5,000 mg/kg at certain depths.
Ground water samples showed an average TPH concentration  of 1.5
mg/L, with TPH concentrations in some wells as high as 10 mg/L.
The contaminated area extends beneath a tool maintenance building,
engine storage yard, and fuel storage yard (see Figure 1).

Field Evaluation
Bioventing performance is being evaluated at three different air injec-
tion rates. Unlike soil venting or soil vacuum extraction technologies,

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       WW9
       (10.*
        • WW = Ground Water Monitoring Well
        O CW = Soil Vapor Cluster Well
          IW = Injection Well
          (1.5) = TPH in Ground Water (mg/L) (9/81)
          A-A' = Cross Section Trace
      Figure 1, Plan view of contaminated area.

bioventing  uses low airflow  rates  to stimulate
biodegradative activity while minimizing volatili-
zation of contaminants in the soil. Higher air injec-
tion rates stimulate faster and more widespread
biodegradation but also release more volatile emis-
sions to the surface. Figure 2 shows an air injection
well at the site. Twice a year, the rate of air injection
is reduced to study the tradeoff between the loss in
area of influence of the injected air for bioremedia-
tion and the decrease in  volatilization of organics
at the soil surface.

To determine the rate of hydrocarbon loss due to
bioventing, RREL conducts semiannual in situ res-
piration tests. Air injection is shut off for 4 to 8 days,
during which soil gas oxygen levels are carefully
monitored. The rate of oxygen uptake by microor-
ganisms  in the contaminated soil, relative to
oxygen loss observed in an uncontaminated area,
indicates the rate of biodegradation.

RREL has conducted an inert gas tracer study to
determine the transport of gas through the soil.
During this study, researchers temporarily injected
helium instead of air into the vent well. By moni-
toring for the inert gas at the various soil gas wells,
researchers determined how efficiently the injec-
tion well delivers air to the soil.

Status

The U.S. Air Force began bioventing operations in
January 1991. Between July and September 1991,
RREL installed additional wells to monitor biore-
mediation performance over the entire 100-ft depth
of the contaminated vadose zone. The first flow
rate change and in situ respiration test, and the
inert gas tracer study took place in fall of 1992. Final
soil hydrocarbon analyses will be  conducted in
summer of 1993. These results will be compared
with the  initial soil analysis to document overall
hydrocarbon loss due to bioventing.
         Figure 2. Air injection well at the surface.
  The Bioremediation Field Initiative was established in 1990 to expand the nation's field experience in bioremediation technologies.
  The Initiative's objectives are to more fully document the performance of full-scale applications of bioremediation; provide
  technical assistance to regional and state site managers; and provide information on treatability studies, design, and operation of
  bioremediation projects. The Initiative currently is performing field evaluations of bioremediation at eight other hazardous waste
  sites: Libby Ground Water Superfund site, Ubby, MT; Park City Pipeline, Park City, KS; Bendix Corporation/Allied Automotive
  Superfund site, St. Joseph, MI; West KL Avenue Landfill Superfund site, Kalamazoo, MI; Eielson Air Force Base Superfund site,
  Fairbanks, AK; Escambia Wood Preserving Site—Brookhaven, Brookhaven, MS; Reilly Tar and Chemical Corporation Superfund
  site, St. Louis Park, MN; and Public Service Company, Denver, CO. To obtain profiles on these additional sites or to be added to
  the Initiative's mailing list, call 513-569-7562. For further information on the Bioremediat Jon Field Initiative, contact Fran Kremer,
  Coordinator, Bioremediation Field Initiative, U.S. EPA, Office of Research and Development, 26 West Martin Luther King Drive,
  Cincinnati, OH 45268; or Nancy Dean, U.S. EPA, Technology Innovation Office, Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response,
  401 M Street, SW., Washington, DC 20460. "

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&EFA
       SITE FACTS
                            United States
                            Environmental Protection
                            Agency
                     Office of Research and
                     Development
                     Washington, DC 20460
Office of Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
Washington, DC 20460
Bioremediation Field
Initiative  Site Profile:
Public  Service Company
of Colorado
 Location: Denver, Colorado
 Laboratories/Agencies: US.
 EPA Robert S.Kerr
 Environmental Research
 Laboratory (RSKEKL), US, EPA
 Region 8
 Media and Contaminants:
 BTEX in ground water
 Treatment: In situ
 bkwemediation of ground water
 with nutrient and hydrogen
 peroxide addition
 Date of Initiative Selection;
 Spring 1991
 Objective; To evaluate the
 effectiveness of in situ
 bioremediation of used oil and
 the potential for future
 environmental impact from
 residual contaminants
 Bioremediation  Field Initiative
 Contact: John Wilson, US> EPA
 RSKERL, EO. Box 1198, Ada,
 OK 74820
 Regional Contact: Suzanne
 Stevenson, US, EPA Region 8,
 99918th Street, Denver, CO
 80202-2466
Background
In 1987, Public Service Company of Colorado (PSC), an electric utility,
determined that used oil had leaked from a 75-gallon tank at the
company's facility at 2701 West 7th Avenue in Denver, Colorado. The
tank served as a temporary catch basin for used automotive oil in the
facility's garage. A discrepancy between the volume of oil deposited
in the tank and the volume pumped out for disposal lead PSC to
suspect the leak. Though it is unclear when the leak first occurred, the
tank had been in service for 29 years before the leak was discovered.
The Bioremediation Field Initiative has conducted a retrospective
evaluation of the performance of in situ bioremediation of oil leaked
from the tank.

Characterization

PSC found soil concentrations of oil and grease beneath the tank
ranging up to 9,600 mg/kg. Soil samples also showed BTEX com-
pounds in the following concentrations: toluene, 3,200 ug/kg; ethyl
benzene, 820 ug/kg; and xylenes, 29,600 ug/kg. Ground water sam-
pling detected low levels of BTEX  compounds,  though levels of
xylenes exceeded EPA's proposed drinking water standards.

Field Evaluation
In July 1989, PSC installed an in situ bioremediation system to reme-
diate the contaminated ground water and promote biodegradation of
contaminants in the soil above and below the water table and in the
aquifer. The treatment took place in several stages. First, ground water
was pumped from a recovery well downgradient of the leaking tank
at the rate of 11 gallons per minute to ensure the capture and content
of contaminants. The recovered water then was treated by carbon
adsorption to remove dissolved hydrocarbons before being pumped
to a nutrient gallery. In the nutrient gallery, the ground water was
amended twice: first with ammonium and phosphate compounds to
provide inorganic nutrients; then with hydrogen peroxide to increase
the water's level of dissolved oxygen. The amended ground water

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 was then reinjected upgradient of the leaking tank,
 thereby  delivering the nutrients  and  oxygen
 needed to sustain  aerobic  biodegradation in the
 saturated zone. Figure 1 is a computer-generated
 model of ground water flow from the injection
 wells to the recovery well. Figure 2 shows the actual
 flow of nutrients beneath the leaking oil tank.

 To speed remediation of the contaminated soil in
 the vadose zone, FSC also added batches of nutri-
 ents directly to the  soil and installed a bioventing
 system to induce a dynamic flow of  ambient air
 above the water table to highly contaminated areas
 in the subsurface.

 Status

 By 1991, concentrations of BTEX in the monitoring
 wells were  approaching the cleanup  goals.  In
    PSC Simulated Streamlines
                                     200
                                     100

                                      Recovery Well
                                       Nutrient
                                     .  Recharge
                                       Gallery
                                     If
                                       Ground Water
                                       Recharge
                                       Gallery
      -100
                     (feet)
Figure 1. Computer-generated model of ground water flow from
injection wells to recovery well.
                                          EWG
                                             round Water
                                           Ttefrharge
                                            Gallery
   Vault
Equipment
Shed  •
                                           WWG
                 Legend
                  A Recovery Well
                  • Nutrient Addition Point
                 — Contour Interval in Feet
Figure 2. Schematic of site showing flow of nutrients in ground
water under leaking tank.
March of 1992, PSC submitted an application for
closure to the State of Colorado. The site currently
is in the monitoring phase. In July of 1992, the U.S.
EPA Robert S. Kerr Environmental Research Labo-
ratory  (RSKERL) conducted an evaluation of the
site, including soil coring to determine the quantity
and distribution of residual oil downgradient of
the leaking tank, chemodynamic modeling to pre-
dict the  maximum concentration of BTEX  that
could partition from residual oil to ground water,
and hydrogeologic monitoring to predict the con-
centration of BTEX in a hypothetical well at the site
boundary downgradient of the leaking tank. The
results of this evaluation still are being analyzed,
but RSKERL's  interim conclusion is that,  while
some hydrocarbons remain at the site, they are not
contributing at this time to substantial contamina-
tion of ground water in the aquifer.
  The Bioremediation Field Initiative was established in 1990 to expand the nation's field experience in bioremediation technologies.
  The Initiative's objectives are to more fully document the performance of full-scale applications of bioremediation; provide
  technical assistance to regional and state site managers; and provide information on treatability studies, design, and operation of
  bioremediation projects. The Initiative currently Is performing field evaluations of bioremediation at eight other hazardous waste
  sites; Libby Ground Water Superfund site, Libby, MT; Park City Pipeline, Park City, KS; Bendix Corporation/Allied Automotive,
  Superfund site, St. Joseph, MI; West KL Avenue Landfill Superfund site, Kalamazoo, MI; Bielson Air Force Base Superfund site,
  Fairbanks, AK; Hill Air Force Base Superfund site, Salt Lake City, UT; Escambia Wood Preserving Site—Brookhaven, Brookhaven!
  MS; and Reilly Tar and Chemical Corporation Superfund site, St. Louis Park, MM. To obtain profiles on these additional sites or
  to be added to the Initiative's mailing list, call 513-569-7562. For further information on the Bioremediation Field Initiative, contact
  FranKremer, Coordinator, Bioremediation Field Initiative, US. EPA, Office of Research and Development, 26 West Martin Luther
  King Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45268; or Nancy Dean, U.S. EPA, Technology Innovation Office, Office of Solid Waste and Emergency
  Response, 401M Street, SW., Washington, DC 20460.

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          Libby Ground
            Water Site
      Location: Libby, Montana
      Laboratories/Agencies:
      US. EPA Robert S.Kerr
      Environmental Research
      Laboratory (RSKERLX, Utafi
      State University (USU),  '.
      US. EPA Region 8
      Media and Contaminants:
      Pentachlorophenol (PCP)
      and polycyclic aromatic
      hydrocarbons (PAHs) in
      soil and ground water,
      Treatment: Surface soil
      bioremediation, above-
      ground fixed-film bioreac-
      tor, in situ bioremediation
      Date of Initiative Selection:
      Fall 1990
      Objective: To evaluate the
      performance of three    f
      biotreatment processes tot-
      degradation of PCP and
      PAHs
       Hii! AFB
Location;  Salt Lake City,
Utah             \
Laboratories/Agenctes:
US. Air Force, US. EPA %
Risk Reduction Engineering,
Laboratory (RREL), US.    v
EPA Region 8              ^~
Media and Contaminants:      :>,
JP-4 jet fuel in unsaturated
soil
Treatment: Bioventing
Date of Initiative Selection:
Spring 1991
Objective: To evaluate the
effectiveness of bioventirfg
jet fuel in deep vadose zone
soil
                   Reiily Tar and
                 Chemicai Corp.
                       jrles/Agencies:
                                                                                                  ' '   Ufcoratories/Agencies;
                                                                                                      USl EPA itobeitS, fer'.
                                                                                                      Environmental Research
                                     Laboratories/Agencies:
                                     U.S. Air Force, U.S. EPA
                                     Risk Reduction Engineering
                                     Laboratory (RREL), US.
                                     EPA Region 10
                                     Media and Contaminants:
                                     JP-4 jet fuel in shallow
                                     unsaturated soil
                                     Treatment: Bioventing
                                     with active and passive soil
                                     warming
                                     Date of Initiative Selection:
                                     Spring 1991
                                     Objective: To examine the
                                         of soil-warming
                                         mologies to enhance the
                                     effectiveness of bioventing
                                     jet fuel-contaminated soil in
                                     a cold climate
US.EPA1
Environmental Research
Laboratory (
EPA Region &.      Va|
Media and r*    •"*-
BTEX in ground water
Treatment: In situ
bioremediation of ground
water with nutrient and
hydrogen peroxide addition
Date of Initiative Selection:
Spring 1991
Objective: To evaluate the
effectiveness of in situ
bioremediation of used oil
and the potential for future
environmental impact from
residual contaminants
               less of
three technologies for
treating refined petroleum
hydrocarbons from a
leaking pipeline

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Bioremediation  Field  Initiative
Evaluation  Sites
                             Location: St. Joseph,
                             Michigan
                             Laboratories/
                             U.S. EPA Roberts,
                            bior§aedia«0tt
                            Date of Initiative Selection:
       Objective: To evaluate the

                  itidnin
                                                                 West KL Avenue
                                                                     Landfill
                                          Location: Kalamazoo,
                                          Michigan
                                          Laboratories/Agencies:
                                          U.S, EPA Risk Reduction
                                          Engineering Laboratory
                                          , US. EPA Robert S.
                                          Kerr Environmental
                                          Research Laboratory
                                          (RSKERL), Center for
                                        ' Michigan State University
                                          (MSU), U.S. EPA Region 5,
                                          Michigan Department of
                                          Natural Resources
                                          Media and Contaminants:
                                          Solvents in landfill and
                                          ground water
                                          Treatment: In situ
                                          bioremediation of landfill
                                          material and ground water
                                          Date of Initiative Selection:
                                          October 1992
                                          Objective: To evaluate the
                                          feasibility of bioremediating
                                          the ground water and
                                          landfill material
                                                                  KEY TO SITE

                                                                CONTAMINANTS
      Agriculture
      LaboratorylFPtj,
      Innovative Technology
      Evaluation (SITE) Program,
      U.S. EPA Region 4
      Media and Contaminants;
      Pentachlorophenol (PCP)
      and creosote sludge in soil
      Treatment: White-rot fungi
      Date of Initiative Selection:
      Spring 1991
      Objective: To evaluate the
      effectiveness of white-rot
      fungi treatment for wood
      preserving wastes
:*

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                              United States
                              Environmental Protection
                              Agency
                      Office of Research and
                      Development
                      Washington, DC 20460
Office of Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
Washington, DC 20460
oEPA
Bioremediation Field
Initiative Site Profile:
Park City  Pipeline
       SITE FACTS
 Location: Park Gty, Kansas
 Laboratories/Agencies: US.
 EPA Robert S. Kerr
 Environmental Research
 Laboratory {RSKERL), US. EPA
 Region 7
 Media/Contaminants; Refined
 petroleum (BTEX) in ground
 water
 Treatment: B1EX fermentation,
 BTEX deniirification, BTEX
 denitrification supplemented
 wife oxygen
 Date of Initiative Selection:
 Spring 1991
 Objective: To evaluate the
 relative effectiveness of three
 technologies for treating refined
 petroleum hydrocarbons from a
 leaking pipeline
 Bioremediation Field Initiative
 Contact: John Wilson, US. EPA
 RSKERL, P.O. Box 1198, Ada, .
 OK 74820
Background

In the 1970s, a buried pipeline at an oil refinery in Park City, Kansas,
started leaking a variety of refined petroleum products and petroleum
feedstocks into the water table aquifer. By February 1980, the spill had
contaminated ground water near Park City's municipal well #6. To
intercept the flow of hydrocarbons from the pipeline to the well, two
trenches were excavated to the water table for free product recovery.
As a means of disposal, the petroleum in the trenches occasionally
was set afire. The west trench was backfilled in August 1982; the east
trench was filled in August 1984. The U.S. EPA Robert S. Kerr Envi-
ronmental Research Laboratory (RSKERL) is performing  a  field
evaluation of three treatments for the contaminated ground water.

Characterization

In 1989,18 monitoring wells and two sets of five piezometers were
installed to define the extent of contamination and the  direction of
ground water flow. In spring of 1991,12 more monitoring wells and
two sets of piezometers were added to better define the distribution
of the oil. The contamination is in the floodplain of the Arkansas River,
where 15 to 20 ft of clay overlie a sand aquifer (see Figure 1). The water
table is near the interface of the sand and the clay, and the bedrock is
                              Figure 1. Geological setting of the site.

-------
45 to 50 ft below the surface. Hydrocarbon contami-
nation is confined roughly to an interval between
the base of the clay layer and the top of the present
water table (see Figure 2).
                                 Total Petroleum
                                  Hydrocarbon
                                   3000 6000
Figure 2. Relationship between spilled hydrocarbons, layers of
geological materials, the water table, and monitoring wells.

Field Evaluation

In 1990, more than 400 shallow injection wells were
installed at the site. These wells are constructed on
a 20-ft grid and cover the entire area affected by the
spill. Researchers have divided an area affected by
the  homogeneous  fuel  spill into three  discrete
blocks of about 1 acre each and will apply one of
the following experimental treatments to each block:
• BTEX fermentation alone

• BTEX denitrification alone
• BTEX denitrification supplemented with oxygen
Water from a  municipal supply  well will be
pumped to the surface, amended, and recirculated
to the aquifer through the injection wells. Each of
the three experimental plots will receive approxi-
mately 125 gpm. At that rate, the water is estimated
to require an average of 6.4 days to recirculate. To
maintain the demonstration in a cone of depres-
sion, water also will be pumped from a second
nearby well.

The water distributed to all  three  plots will be
amended with  ammonium chloride at 5 mg/L.
Two plots  also will receive nitrate at 10 mg/L as
nitrogen. The third plot will receive oxygen at 2
mg/L. To act as a tracer, and to enable researchers
to estimate the volume of water in the recirculation
loop, the recirculated water will be amended with
sodium bromide at 50 mg/L.

Status

Researchers have completed microcosm studies on
the two denitrification technologies to predict the
duration of  remediation required.  Aquifer core
samples from two locations originally showed av-
erage BTEX concentrations of 42.6 mg/kg and 24.3
mg/kg,  respectively. Toluene, ethylbenzene, m-
xylene,  p-xylene,  1,3,5-trimethylbenzene,  and
1,2,4-trimethylbenzene degraded  to less than  5
jxg/L within 20 days in the clean aquifer micro-
cosms amended with nitrate. About half of the
o-xylene  was  removed.  Benzene  and   1,2,3-
trimethylbenzene were recalcitrant. Based on these
findings, researchers predict that 210 days of treat-
ment will  be required to supply enough nitrate
to remediate the aquifer. Remediation began in
December  1992.
  The Bioremedirtion Field Initiative was established to 1990 toexpand the nation's field experience inbioreinediation technologies.
  The Initiative's objectives are to more folly document the performance of full-scale applications of bioremediation; provide
  technical assistance to regional and state site managers; and provide information on treatabllity studies, design, and operation of
  bioremediation projects. The Initiative currently is performing field evaluations of bioremediation at eight other hazardous waste
  sites: Libby Ground Water Superfuttd site,, tibby, Mf; Bendix Corporation/Allied Automotive Superfund site, St. Joseph, MI; West
  KL Avenue Landfill Superfund site, Kalamazoo, Mfc Eielson Air force Base Superfund site, Fairbanks, AK; Hill Air Force Base
  Superfund site, Salt Lake City, UT; Escarabia Wood Preserving Site—Brookhaven, Brookhaven, MS; Reilly Tar and Chemical
  Corporation Superfund site, St, Louis Park, MM; and Public Service Company, Denver, CO. To obtain profiles on these additional
  sites or to be added to the Initiative's mailing lis^ -call 513-569-7562, For further information on the Bioremediation Field Initiative,
  contact Fran Ktemer, Coordinator, Btetemedlation Held Initiative, U,S. EPA, Office of Research and Development, 26 West Martin
  Luther King Drive, Cincinnati, OH ,452$$; or Narusy Dean, V.S. EPA, Technology Innovation Office, Office of Solid Waste and
  Emergency Response, 401M Street, SW,, Washington, DC 20460,

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                            United States
                            Environmental Protection
                            Agency
                    Office of Research and
                    Development
                    Washington, DC 20460
Office of Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
Washington, DC 20460
vvEPA
       SITE FACTS
 Location: St. Joseph, Michigan
 Laboratories/Agencies: US,
 EPA Robert S,Kerr
 Environmental Research
 Laboratory {RSKERL), Western
 Region Hazardous Substance
 Research Center (WRHSRC) at
 Stanford University, U.S. EPA
 Region 5, Michigan Department
 of Natural Resources
 Media and Contaminants;
 Vinyl chloride (VC),
 dichloroethylene (DCE), and
 trichloroethylene (TCE) in
 ground water

 Treatment; In situ
 bioremediation

 Date of Initiative Selection:
 Fail 1990
 Objective: To evaluate the in
 situ remediation oif VC and TCE
 contamination in ground water

 Bioremediation Field  Initiative
 Contact: John Wilson, U.S. EPA
 RSKERL, P.O. Box 1198, Ada,
 OK 74820

 Regional Contact: John
 Kuhns, US, EPARegion §,
 Waste Management Division, 77
 West Jackson Boulevard,
 Chicago, IL 60604
Bioremediation  Field
Initiative Site Profile:
Bendix Corporation/Allied
Automotive  Superfund  Site
Background

In 1982, two contaminated ground water plumes with mg/L concen-
trations of trichloroethylene (TCE), vinyl chloride (VC), and cis- and
fnws-l,2-dichloroethylene (c- and f-DCE) were found to be emanating
from the Bendix Corporation/Allied Automotive industrial site in St.
Joseph, Michigan (see Figure 1), and the site was placed on the
National Priority List. In early 1991, the Western Region Hazardous
Substance Research Center (WRHSRC) at Stanford University, in
cooperation with U.S. EPA Region 5 and the U.S. EPA Robert S. Kerr
Environmental Research Laboratory  (RSKERL), began a series of
studies to examine the feasibility of a proposed in situ treatment for
the contaminated ground water.
             100 Meters

          10|ig/L Contours
Figure 1. Plan view of site, showing contaminated plumes of TCE, VC, and DCE.


Field Evaluation

Researchers previously had discovered that c-DCE, t-DCE, and VC
could be biodegraded in situ by mixing ground water and a solution
of oxygen and methane. In the field, however, simply injecting solu-
tions of oxygen and methane into an aquifer does not adequately mix
them with the contaminated ground water. To remedy this problem,
WRHSRC proposed using an in situ treatment unit that enhances this

-------
mixing. Figure 2 presents a schematic of this sys-
tem. The unit consists of a well with two screens, a
pump, and mixing apparatus. One well screen is
located at the bottom of the aquifer and the other
               Oxygen—TJ— Methane
       Reclrculatlon Unit —•
                               VadoseZorte
                          -Seal:
                                Ground Water
Figure 2. Schematic of the mixing and recirculation system.

is at the water table. Contaminated ground water
is drawn into  the well through the lower screen,
where  oxygen  and methane  are  added,  then
pumped back  into the aquifer through the water
table screen. The pumping rate in the treatment
unit can be adjusted to  recirculate  the plume
through the treatment unit as many  times as  is
necessary to meet cleanup standards.

RSKERL began by sampling and chemically ana-
lyzing two transects extending across the plume
perpendicular  to the flow of ground water. These
samples revealed relatively high concentrations of
all contaminants within 20 m of the plume's center.
Maximum concentrations were 138 mg/L for TCE,
128 mg/L for c-DCE, and 56 mg/L for VC. Concen-
trations of TCE were much higher than expected,
leading researchers to suspect that TCE might in-
hibit the growth of methanotrophic bacterial popu-
lations needed to remediate the aquifer.

To investigate this possibility, WRHSRC conducted
microcosm studies of aquifer solids. The micro-
cosms showed complete methane utilization re-
gardless of VC or TCE concentration and removal
rates of 25 to 80 percent for VC. The studies also
showed, however, that TCE is not effectively trans-
formed by the methanotrophic process. Based on
these results, WRHSRC speculated that the pro-
posed mixing system might actually dissolve more
TCE than it degraded by circulating ground water
past highly  concentrated, oily-phase  TCE.  This
led WRHSRC  to  recommend that the proposed
system be installed only in areas where TCE con-
centrations are low and VC is the downgradient
contaminant.

Status

Researchers currently are conducting another site
characterization to identify regions of the contami-
nated site  with low concentrations of TCE. Pre-
vious research  has shown that low concentrations
of TCE can be transformed in situ to environmen-
tally benign ethene by adding methanol and ace-
tate to the aquifer. A combination of this treatment
for TCE and the originally proposed methanotro-
phic treatment for VC might be used to remediate
regions of the site with low TCE concentrations.
  The Bioremediation Field Initiative was established in 1990 to expand the nation's field experience in bioremediation technologies.
  The Initiative's objectives are to mote fully document the performance ol Mi-scale applications of bioremediation; provide
  technical assistance to regional and state site managers; and provide information on treatability studies, design, and operation of
  bioremediation projects. The Initiative currently i$ performing field evaluations of bioremediation at eight other hazardous waste
  sites; Libby Ground Water Superfund site, Libby, MT; Park City Pipeline, Park City, KS; West KL Avenue Landfill Superf und site,
  Kalamazoo, MI; Bielson Air Force Base Superfund site, Fairbanks, AK; Hill Air Force Base Superfund site, Salt Lake City, UT;
  Escambia Wood Preserving Site—Bwwkhaven, Brookhaven, MS; Reilly Tar and Chemical Corporation Superfund site, St. Louis
  Park, MM; and Public Service Company, Denver, CO, f o obtain profiles on these additional sites or to be added to the Initiative's
  mailing list, call 513-569-7562, For further information on the Bioremediation Field Initiative, contact F*an Kremer, Coordinator,
  Bioremediatiott Field Initiative, US. EPA, Office of Research and Development, 26 West Martin Luther King Drive, Cincinnati, OH
  45268; or Nancy Dean, U.S. EPA, Technology Innovation Office, Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response, 401 M Street, SW.,
  Washington, DC 20460.

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                             United States
                             Environmental Protection
                             Agency
                     Office of Research and
                     Development
                     Washington, DC 20460
Office of Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
Washington, DC 20460
vvEPA
       SITE FACTS
 Location: Brookhaven,
 Mississippi

 Laboratories/Agencies: U.S.
 EPA Risk Reduction
 Engineering Laboratory (RREL),
 U.S. Department of Agriculture
 Forest Products Laboratory
 (FPL), Superfund Innovative
 Technology Evaluation (SITE)
 Program, US. EPA Region 4

 Media and Contaminants:
 Pentachlorophenol (PCP) and
 creosote sludge in soil

 Treatment: White-rot fungi

 Date of Initiative Selection:
 Spring 1991

 Objective: To evaluate the
 effectiveness of white-rot fungi
 treatment for wood preserving
 wastes

 Bioremediation Field  initiative
 Contacts: John Glaser and
 Richard Brenner, U.S. EPA
 RREL, 26 West Martin Luther
 King Drive, Cincinnati, OH
 45268

 Regional Contact:
 De'Lyntoneus Moore, U.S. EPA
 Region 4, Waste Management
 Division, 345 Courtland Street,
 Atlanta, GA30365
Bioremediation  Field

Initiative Site  Profile:


Escambia Wood Preserving

Site—Brookhaven



Background
The Escambia Wood Preserving Site—Brookhaven in Brookhaven,
Mississippi, is a former wood preserving facility that used pentachlo-
rophenol (PCP) and creosote to treat wooden poles. The site contains
two pressure treatment cylinders, a wastewater treatment system,
five bulk product storage tanks, and seven condenser ponds, includ-
ing a 3,000,000-gallon, unlined primary surface impoundment. Prior
to the installation of the wastewater treatment system in 1983, un-
treated process wastewater and sludge from the facility were pumped
into the primary surface impoundment to evaporate excess water. In
1985, PCP-contaminated sediment and sludge from the condenser
ponds were excavated and deposited in the primary surface im-
poundment. In April 1991, U.S. EPA Region 4 initiated a removal
action to eliminate all sources of potential releases to the environment.

In the fall of 1991, PCP-contaminated soil from the condenser ponds
was excavated and transferred to test plots to serve as a medium for
an 8-week feasibility study on white-rot fungi treatment. A second,
5-month study of one particular strain of white-rot fungus took place
from June to November 1992. Both studies were conducted by the
U.S. EPARisk Reduction Engineering Laboratory (RREL) and the U.S.
Department of Agriculture Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) under
the Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation (SITE) Program
and the Bioremediation Field Initiative.

Characterization

In June 1991, as part of the Field Initiative's feasibility study, site
investigators systematically sampled  a flat, approximately 18-m by
18-m section of a waste sludge pile of material from the condenser
ponds. Laboratory analysis of each sample found PCP concentrations
ranging from 25 mg/kg to 342 mg/kg, with an average of 143 mg/kg.
Investigators also analyzed composite samples consisting of soil from
each of the sample locations for volatile and semi-volatile organics.
The composite samples  contained elevated concentrations of 44
organic compounds, 12 of which are hazardous constituents of K001
waste. Contaminant concentrations varied greatly within the waste

-------
pile; the soil in the feasibility study had particularly
high pollutant levels.

Field Evaluation

The feasibility study  compared 10  treatments,
combining three fungal species, three  inoculum
loading levels, and the appropriate controls. The
experimental  method  combined  a randomized
complete block (RGB) design without replication
and a balanced incomplete block (BIB) design with
treatment replicated four times. Eleven 10-ft by
10-ft plots, each holding about 4 tons of soil, were
constructed. In the RGB design, six of the plots each
received a separate treatment. In the BIB design,
each of the five remaining plots was divided by
interior borders into four 2.5-ft by 2.5-ft split plots.
The interior plots were used to evaluate one of the
treatments from the RGB design and four addi-
tional treatments.

Investigators excavated soil from the original sam-
pling location on the waste sludge pile to a depth
of approximately 30 cm. After excavation, the soil
was mechanically sieved to pass through a 2.5-cm
screen, mixed, then placed in the plots to a depth
of 25 cm.  On September 18, 1991,  the plots were
inoculated with the fungi. After inoculation, each
plot periodically was  irrigated and tilled  with a
garden rototiller. Wood chips were added to each
plot to provide a substrate to sustain growth of the
fungi. Figure 1 is a schematic of the soil prepara-
tion, showing the treatment plots.

Status

Both the SITE program and investigators from FPL
collected soil samples during the feasibility study.
Sampling  and  analyses for  PGP and  polycyclic
      SCREENING
                               TREATMENT PLOTS
Figure 1. Schematic of soil preparation, from excavation to screen-
ing, mixing, placement in treatment plots, and inoculation with
fungi.

aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were performed by
methods previously used by  each group.  Initial
PGP concentrations  in the  10 treatment plots
ranged  between  approximately 300 and 1,000
mg/kg. Results indicated losses of PGP in the treat-
ment plots of up to 89 percent of the initial concen-
trations. This level of remediation was considered
adequate to justify the initiation of a larger scale
investigation.

A larger scale investigation of Phanerochaete sordida
for remediation of the PGP-contaminated soil was
initiated  in  June 1992. Researchers  inoculated a
100-ft by 70-ft plot with the fungal  species. Two
control plots also were established—one with con-
taminated soil only and the other with contami-
nated soil and the fungal spawn mix. Sampling was
conducted through November 1992 to monitor the
transformation of PGP and PAFfs. The data cur-
rently are being evaluated.
  The Bioremediation Field Initiative was established in 1990 to expand the nation's field experience inbioremediation technologies.
  The Initiative's objectives are to more fully document the performance of Mi-scale applications of bioremediation; provide
  technical assistance to regional and state site managers; and provide information on treatability studies, design, and operation of
  bioremediation projects. The Initiative currently is performing field evaluations of bioremediation at eight other hazardous waste
  sites: Libby Ground Water Superfund site, Libby, MT; Park City Pipeline, Park City, KS; Bendix Corporation/Allied Automotive
  Superfund site, St. Joseph, MI; West KL Avenue Landfill Superfund site, Kalamazoo, MI; Eielson Air Force Base Superfund site,
  Fairbanks, AK; Hill Air Force Base Superfund site, Salt Lake City, UT; Reilly Tar and Chemical Corporation Superfund site, St.
  Louis Park, MM; and Public Service Company, Denver, CO. To obtain profiles on these additional Sites Of to be added to the
  Initiative's mailing list, call 513*569-7562, For further information on the Bioremediation Field Initiative, contact Fran Kremer,
  Coordinator, Bioremediation Field Initiative, U,S. EPA, Office of Research and Development, 26 West Martin Luther King Drive,
  Cincinnati, OH 45268; or Nancy Dean, U.S. EPA, Technology Innovation Office, Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response,
  401 M Street, SW., Washington, DC 20460,

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                             United States
                             Environmental Protection
                             Agency
                     Office of Research and
                     Development
                     Washington, DC 20460
Office of Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
Washington, DC 20460
vvEPA
       SITE FACTS
 Location: St. Louis Park,
 Minnesota

 Laboratories/Agencies: U.S.
 EPA Risk Reduction
 Engineering Laboratory (RREL),
 Superfund Innovative
 Technology Evaluation (SITE)
 Program, U.S. EPA Region 5,
 Minnesota Pollution Control
 Agency
 Media and Contaminants:
 Polycyclic aromatic
 hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soil

 Treatment: Bioventing

 Date of Initiative Selection:
 October 1992

 Objective:  To evaluate the
 effectiveness of bioventing
 PAH-contaminated soil

 Bioremediation Field Initiative
 Contacts: Paul McCauley and
 Richard Brenner, U.S. EPA
 RREL, 26 West Martin Luther
 King Drive, Cincinnati, OH
 45268

 Regional Contact: Daryl
 Owens, U,S, EPA Region 5,
 Waste Management Division, 77
 West Jackson Boulevard,
 Chicago, IL 60604
Bioremediation  Field

Initiative Site Profile:


Reilly Tar  and Chemical

Corporation  Superfund Site


Background
This Bioremediation Field Initiative project is under way in St. Louis
Park, Minnesota, at the former site of Reilly Tar and Chemical Corpo-
ration's coal tar distillation and wood preserving plant. From 1917 to
1972, wastewater discharges and dumping from this plant contami-
nated about 80 acres of soil and the underlying ground water with
wood preserving wastes. In 1978, the Minnesota Department of
Health discovered significant concentrations of polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons (PAHs) in six municipal drinking water wells neigh-
boring the Reilly Tar plant. St. Louis Park currently is pumping and
treating the contaminated ground water plume, but without an effort
to control the source of PAHs, pumping and  treating might be neces-
sary for several hundred years.
This Initiative project is evaluating bioventing of PAH-contaminated
soil through the U.S. EPA Superfund Innovative Technology Evalu-
ation (SITE) Program and the U.S. EPA Risk Reduction Engineering
Laboratory's (RREL's) Biosystems Program. Bioventing has proven
effective at remediating lightweight petroleum distillates such as JP-4
jet fuel; this is the first evaluation of bioventing's effectiveness for
remediation of larger molecular weight hydrocarbons.

Characterization
The SITE program conducted a preliminary site characterization,
including soil sampling, soil gas monitoring, and in situ respiration
testing, in August 1992. Soil sampling revealed PAH contamination
in sandy vadose soil ranging from 2 to 10 ft below the surface. Soil
gas monitoring and respiration tests indicated that the soil's aerobic
microbial activity and air permeability are high enough for successful
bioventing.

Field Evaluation
In November 1992, baseline soil sampling was conducted and a
full-scale bioventing system installed on a 50-ft by 50-ft plot (see
Figure 1). A control plot of equal size and contaminant levels also was
established to gauge the effectiveness of the bioventing system. The

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      Delineated Plot Boundary
        Flow
        Control
        Rotometer
      Gl - Gas Injection Vent
      GS - Gas Sample Probes
      T - Temperature Probes
      WL - Water Level Well
Figure 1. Layout ofbioventing installation on experimental plot.
 system consists  of one air injection  well with
 screening 5 to 10 ft below ground level (see Figure
 2), a 2.5 hp blower, a network of 48 soil gas sam-
 pling probes, and a system to monitor soil tempera-
 ture and ground water elevation. The blower and
 vent well deliver 100 ft3 of air per hour to  the
 contaminated soil.

 Personnel from the City of St. Louis Park will moni-
 tor subsurface temperature, as well as oxygen and
 carbon dioxide levels, every 2 weeks. In situ respi-
 ration tests will be conducted four times per year.
 At the completion of the project, final soil samples
 will be collected from the  experimental and  the
 control plots.
                                                                               Pressure Gauge
                                                                                       PVC Pipe
                                                                                       2" OD, Schedule 40
                                                                                       Sand Pack
                                                                                       Screened
                                                                                       Section
Figure 2. Schematic of air injection vent well.

Status

The demonstration project  is expected to last 3
years, at which point it is estimated that soil core
samples  will show at least a 27 percent reduction
in PAH levels. If bioventing successfully remedi-
ates PAHs at this rate, complete remediation of the
site would take 10 to  15 years should large-scale
bioventing be undertaken. The results of this study
will determine whether bioventing can be consid-
ered at Superfund sites as a cost-effective treatment
technology for remediating PAH-contaminated soil.
   The Bioremediation Tieldlnitiative was established in 1990 to expand thenation's field experience in bioremediation technologies.
   The Initiative's objectives are to more fully document the performance of full-scale applications of bioremediation; provide
   technical assistance to regional and state site managers; and provide information on treatabiUty studies, design, and operation of
   bioremediation projects. The Initiative currently is performing field evaluations of bioremediation at eight other hazardous waste
   sites: Libby Ground Water Superfund site, Libby, MT; Park Qty Pipeline, Park City, KS; Bendix Corporation/Allied Automotive
   Superfund site, St. Joseph, MI; West KL Avenue Landfill Superfund site, Kalamazoo, MI; Eielson Air Force Base Superfund site,
   Fairbanks, AK; Hill Air Force Base Superfund site, Salt Lake City, UT; Escambia Wood Preserving Site-^Brookhaven, Brookhaven,
   MS; and Public Service Company, Penver, CO. To obtain profiles on these additional sites or to be added to the Initiative's mailing
   list, call 513-569-7562. For further information on the Bioremediation Field Initiative, contact Fran Kremer, Coordinator, Bioreme-
   diation Field Initiative, U.S, EPA, Office of Research and Development, 26 West Martin Luther King Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45268;
   or Nancy Dean, U.S. EPA, Technology Innovation Office, Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response, 401 M Street, SW.,
   Washington, DC 20460.

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                                United States
                                Environmental Protection
                                Agency
                       Office of Research and
                       Development
                       Washington, DC 20460
Office of Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
Washington, DC 20460
vvEPA
        SITE FACTS
 Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan
 Laboratories/Agencies: US. EPA
 Risk Reduction Engineering
 Laboratory (RREL), US. EPARobert
 S. Kerr Environmental Research
 Laboratory (RSKERL), Center for
 Microbial Ecology at Michigan State
 University (MSU), US. EPARegion 5,
 Michigan Department of Natural
 Resources
 Media and Contaminants:
 Solvents in landfill and ground
 water
 Treatment: In situ bioremediation
 of landfill material and ground
 water
 Date of Initiative Selection:
 October 1992
 Objective: To evaluate the
 feasibility of bioremediating the
 ground water and landfill material
 Bioremediation Reid initiative
 Contacts: John Wilson, US. EPA
 RSKERL, P.O. Box 1198, Ada, OK
 74820; Steve Safferman and Fred
 Bishop, U.S. EPA RREL, 26 West
 Martin Luther King Drive,
 Cincinnati, OH 45268
 Regional Contact: DanCozza,
 US. EPA Region 5, Waste
 Management Division, 77 West
 Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, 1L
 60604
Bioremediation  Field
Initiative  Site  Profile:
West  KL Avenue  Landfill
Superfund  Site
Background
During the 1960s and 1970s, the West KL Avenue Landfill in Kalamazoo,
Michigan, was the repository for an estimated 5 million yd of refuse and
undetermined amounts of bulk liquid and drummed chemical waste. In 1979,
the 87-acre site was closed permanently due to the discovery of contaminants
in nearby residential drinking water wells. In 1983, the site was placed on the
National Priority List due to the discovery of acetone, methyl ethyl ketone,
methyl isobutyl ketone, dichloroethane, benzene, and other contaminants in
ground water near the site. The U.S. EPA Risk Reduction Engineering Labo-
ratory (RREL), the U.S. EPA Robert S. Kerr Environmental Research Labora-
tory (RSKERL), and the Center for Microbial Ecology at Michigan State
University (MSU) currently are examining the feasibility of bioremediating
the landfill material and underlying contaminant plume.

Characterization
Research conducted in 1990 indicated that the surface system and the aquifer
are hydraulically connected, so soluble contaminants leach vertically from
the landfill to the saturated zone. The plume of contamination has two lobes
that are moving west from the landfill. Figure 1 shows the location of the
landfill, nearby lakes, and monitoring wells, as well as the water table
surface contour.

Field Evaluation
Research is being conducted under three tasks. The first task, to be con-
ducted by RSKERL, is site characterization and modeling. RSKERL will drill
wells in six locations to evaluate the geochemical and hydrological charac-
teristics of the contaminated ground water plume and to monitor the fate
and transport of the contaminants. RSKERL will provide  site charac-
terization data so that MSU can select appropriate depth intervals to sample
for microbial activity.

The second task, to be conducted by MSU, involves the use of microcosms
to evaluate the biodegradative capacity of the ground water. Serum bottles
with aquifer material and ground water will be used to test for the presence
of microorganisms able to degrade representative contaminants. MSU also
will use soil-column microcosms to simulate the dynamics of the aquifer
environment and estimate the rates of contaminant degradation. Microcosm
studies are scheduled to commence in May 1993.

In the third task, which is under way, RREL is using three landfill lysimeter
systems to assess the biodegradation of landfill material. One system

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                      Scale in Feet
        Legend
         • Shallow Domestic Well   • Deep Monitoring Well
         © Deep Domestic Well     A Test Well
Q ^ Monitorjng Wfj||
           (next to well if replaced)
         D Shallow Monitoring We,,
Figure 1. Water table surface contour map showing the location of the landfill, nearby lakes, and monitoring wells.
simulates the effects of a Resource Conservation and
Recovery Act (RCRA) cap on the biodegradation of the
fill and leachate. A second system serves as a control to
assess the biodegradative capacity of the landfill mate-
rial, simulating existing conditions without a cap. The
third system simulates the effects of enhancing natu-
rally occurring bioremediation to optimize biodegrada-
tion and biotransf ormation of the hazardous pollutants
in  the  landfill. RREL obtained landfill samples  and
loaded the lysimeter systems in January 1993.

Status
A Record of Decision (ROD) was signed by EPA Region
5 in September 1990. The ROD calls for the installation
of a RCRA-type landfill cap and a ground water pump-
and-treat  system utilizing  aboveground  fixed-film
bioreactors.  A Consent Decree,  entered  in the U.S.
District Court for the Western District of Michigan on
                             November 17,1992, ordered the potentially responsible
                             parties to perform the actions described in the ROD.
                             Designs for the landfill cap and the ground water pump-
                             and-treat system are being conducted concurrently with
                             the Bioremediation Field Initiative's evaluation. The ac-
                             tions described in the ROD will be performed unless the
                             ROD is amended based on the results of the Initiative's
                             evaluation of the site.

                             Preliminary site assessment suggests that natural deg-
                             radation is occurring in the form of anaerobic dechlori-
                             nation  under sulfate-reducing conditions. Pilot-scale
                             bioremediation of the site will involve anaerobic treat-
                             ment of  leachates under methanogenic and sulfate-
                             reducing  conditions.  Further  site  characterization,
                             modeling, and microcosm studies will be conducted in
                             spring of 1993. Laboratory, pilot, and field study results
                             are scheduled to be reported in November 1993.
  The Bioremediation Field Initiative was established in 1990 to expand the nation's field experience in bioremediation technologies.
  The Initiative's objectives are to more fully document the performance of full-scale applications of bioremediation; provide
  technical assistance to regional and state site managers; and provide information on treatability studies, design, and operation of
  bioremediation projects. The Initiative currently is performing field evaluations of bioremediation at eight other hazardous waste
  sites: Libby Ground Water Superfund site, Ubby, MT; Park City Pipeline, Patk City, KS; Bendix Corporation/Allied Automotive
  Superfund site, St. Joseph, MI; Eielson Air Force Base Superfund site, Fairbanks, AK; Hill Air Force Base Superfund site, Salt Lake
  City, UT; Escambia Wood Preserving Site—Brookhaven, Brookhaven, MS; Reilly Tar and Chemical Corporation Superfund site,
  St. Louis Park, MM; and Public Service Company, Denver, CO. To obtain profiles on these additional sites or to be added to the
  Initiative's mailing list, call 513-569-7562. For further information on the Bioremediation Field Initiative, contact Fran Kremer,
  Coordinator, Bioremediation Field Initiative, U.S. EPA, Office of Research and Development, 26 West Martin Luther King Drive,
  Cincinnati, OH 45268; or Nancy Dean, U.S. EPA, Technology Innovation Office, Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response,
  401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460.
                                                               •&U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1993 - 750-071/80001

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United States
Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Research and Development
Washington, DC 20460
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use, $300
EPA/540/F-92/012
     BULK RATE
POSTAGE & FEES PAID
         EPA
   PERMIT No. G-35

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