Zheng Yanmei1, Huang Guoqiang2, and Li Xingang2. (1) School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, National Peiyang Distillation Engineering Development Co. Ltd, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology of Tianjin University, Tianjin, China, (2) School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology of Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
Abstract: A soil column set-up was designed to study the effect of MTBE removal and volatilization-to-biodegradation ratio during biosparging process in saturated soil and groundwater, with the condition of different initial MTBE concentrations. The experimental results show that the biodegradation ratios of MTBE are 23.21% and 12.97% in 50mg/l and 100mg/l MTBE concentration, respectively. It was the volatilization that controlled the dominant removal mechanism at higher contaminant concentrations. Similar masses of MTBE were degraded in both concentration: 25.74 mg and 28.75 mg. The rates of biodegradation that were observed during biosparging testing were proved independent of initial MTBE concentrations selected for this research.
Keywords: biosparging (BS), MTBE, saturated soil, groundwater, remediation