The maximum oil retained per unit mass of aquifer material (ORM) is a critical factor in determining the mass of an emulsified oil substrate needed for enhanced anaerobic bioremediation at chlorinated solvent sites.
Acidity testing allows determination of whether buffering is needed to avoid pH decreases following injection of an electron donor. Low subsurface pH could inhibit microbial activity including reductive dechlorination.
SITE SPECIFIC
While ORM can be estimated based on sediment type, reported ranges vary by orders of magnitude. Determining a site-specific ORM will improve the accuracy of calculations performed to determine the mass of edible oil substrate needed.
COST EFFECTIVE
Determining ORM helps optimizing design of an edible oil substrate injection. If the injected mass is too low, the distribution will be poor and long term treatment performance will be limited. Conversely, overestimation of the edible oil substrate mass leads to increased costs with little improvement in treatment results.
PREVENTATIVE
Acidity testing helps site managers avoid pH complications before they happen. Armed with acidity values, the base equivalents of the chosen alkaline material (provided by manufacturer or vendor), and the size of the treatment zone, site managers can calculate the mass of alkaline material required and injection parameters.
Use ORM and pH buffering results as design parameters in edible oil substrate design tools from remediation product vendors.
Use ORM and pH buffering to help answer…