Mathematical modeling of the biodegradation of residual hydrocarbon in a variably-saturated sand column

Geng, Xiaolong; Boufadel, Michel C.; Wrenn, Brian A.

doi:10.1007/s10532-012-9566-5

Cited by 28 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…To the best of our knowledge, no studies on open mixed culture have been reported on the kinetic parameters for the hydrocarbons considered in this study. Geng et al (2013) obtained for n-C17 kinetic parameters in a similar range to the ones we found in this study. In general, the µ max estimated in this study are within the range of values reported by previous studies for microorganisms growing on normal hydrocarbons.…”

Section: Model Resultssupporting

confidence: 89%

Comparison of the Biodegradation of n-alkanes and Readily Biodegradable Substrates Using Open Mixed Culture under Aerobic, Anoxic and Anaerobic Conditions

Uzukwu¹,

Dionisi²

2017

IJEBB

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This study has investigated the biodegradation of n-alkanes using open mixed cultures in batch tests.Biodegradation of n-C12, C14, C16, C18, C20 was investigated using a respirometric method and compared with the biodegradation of the readily biodegradable substrates glucose, acetic acid and ethanol. Experiments were performed in small-scale bioreactors under various conditions, i.e. aerobic, anoxic with nitrate and completely anaerobic conditions, using two different sources of open mixed microbial cultures. Under aerobic conditions all the readily biodegradable substrates and hydrocarbons were removed, although the acclimation time was longer for the hydrocarbons (3-5 days) than for the readily biodegradable substrates (1-2 days). No significant effect on the hydrocarbon concentration on biodegradation was observed in the concentration range 0.5-5 g/l. Under anoxic conditions, both the readily biodegradable substrates and the hydrocarbons were removed using nitrate as electron acceptor. However, the acclimation time for the hydrocarbons under anoxic conditions (20-25 days) was much longer than under aerobic conditions. Under both aerobic and anoxic conditions, once acclimation with the hydrocarbons was completed, the microorganisms were immediately able to remove a second spike of the substrate without acclimation. Under anaerobic conditions, no activity was observed with the hydrocarbons over a period of 150 days, while the mixed culture was able to remove glucose and convert it to volatile fatty acids. Under aerobic conditions, the dissolved oxygen consumption data was mathematically modelled using Monod kinetics to obtain biokinetic parameters. Good fittings between the model and the experimental data was obtained and the biodegradation of hydrocarbons was characterised by higher values of the parameter K S compared to the readily biodegradable substrates. The results of this study showed that the open mixed microbial cultures contained diverse microorganisms capable of utilizing both liquid and solid n-alkanes under aerobic and anoxic conditions.

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Section: Model Resultssupporting

confidence: 89%

Comparison of the Biodegradation of n-alkanes and Readily Biodegradable Substrates Using Open Mixed Culture under Aerobic, Anoxic and Anaerobic Conditions

Uzukwu¹,

Dionisi²

2017

IJEBB

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“…It is observed that unlike nitrogen, low oxygen plume appeared in the oiled zone even the bioremediation was implemented onto the beach (Figures a–d). The reason is that the oxygen consumption was much more than nitrogen during the aerobic biodegradation [ Geng et al ., ]. However, compared to natural attenuation, the oxygen condition in the oil zone was significantly improved.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Simulation of oil bioremediation in a tidally influenced beach: Spatiotemporal evolution of nutrient and dissolved oxygen

et al. 2016

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Numerical experiments of oil bioremediation of tidally influenced beach were simulated using the model BIOMARUN. Nutrient and dissolved oxygen were assumed present in a solution applied on the exposed beach face, and the concentration of these amendments was tracked throughout the beach for up to 6 months. It was found that, in comparison to natural attenuation, bioremediation increased the removal efficiency by 76% and 65% for alkanes and aromatics, respectively. Increasing the nutrient concentration in the applied solution did not always enhance biodegradation as oxygen became limiting even when the beach was originally oxygen‐rich. Therefore, replenishment of oxygen to oil‐contaminated zone was also essential. Stimulation of oil biodegradation was more evident in the upper and midintertidal zone of the beach, and less in the lower intertidal zone. This was due to reduced nutrient and oxygen replenishment, as very little of the amendment solution reached that zone. It was found that under continual application, most of the oil biodegraded within 2 months, while it persisted for 6 months under natural conditions. While the difference in duration suggests minimal long‐term effects, there are situations where the beach would need to be cleaned for major ecological functions, such as temporary nesting or feeding for migratory birds. Biochemical retention time map (BRTM) showed that the duration of solution application was dependent upon the stimulated oil biodegradation rate. By contrast, the application rate of the amendment solution was dependent upon the subsurface extent of the oil‐contaminated zone. Delivery of nutrient and oxygen into coastal beach involved complex interaction among amendment solution, groundwater, and seawater. Therefore, approaches that ignore the hydrodynamics due to tide are unlikely to provide the optimal solutions for shoreline bioremediation.

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“…This suggests that the biodegradation kinetics was different at the SM006B location. The differences in biodegradation kinetics could be due to the fact that the interfacial area between the oil and water may have been a limiting factor in SM006B (Geng et al, 2013). The composition of the oil could also be different as the presence of heavier PAH compounds could reduce the overall biodegradation rate.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The value was used as a representative sample for this study as a qualitative analysis. The grain size distribution can be used to calculate the specific surface area per mass of sediment ( A S ) as follows (Geng et al, 2013):

A_{S} = \frac{6}{φ d_{a v g} ρ_{s e d i m e n t}}

…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It was observed from their simulations that even with several simplifications made in conceptualization, they were able to demonstrate the ability of their model to detect key processes needed for an effective remediation scheme. Geng et al (2013) developed a mathematical model to simulate the biodegradation of residual hydrocarbon in a variably-saturated sand column. They estimated the biodegradation kinetic parameters by fitting the model to experimental data of oxygen, CO 2 and residual mass of heptadecane obtained from two columns.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Evaluation of the biodegradation of Alaska North Slope oil in microcosms using the biodegradation model BIOB

Torlapati

Boufadel

2014

Front. Microbiol.

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We present the details of a numerical model, BIOB that is capable of simulating the biodegradation of oil entrapped in the sediment. The model uses Monod kinetics to simulate the growth of bacteria in the presence of nutrients and the subsequent consumption of hydrocarbons. The model was used to simulate experimental results of Exxon Valdez oil biodegradation in laboratory columns (Venosa et al., 2010). In that study, samples were collected from three different islands: Eleanor Island (EL107), Knight Island (KN114A), and Smith Island (SM006B), and placed in laboratory microcosms for a duration of 168 days to investigate oil bioremediation through natural attenuation and nutrient amendment. The kinetic parameters of the BIOB model were estimated by fitting to the experimental data using a parameter estimation tool based on Genetic Algorithms (GA). The parameter values of EL107 and KN114A were similar whereas those of SM006B were different from the two other sites; in particular biomass growth at SM006B was four times slower than at the other two islands. Grain size analysis from each site revealed that the specific surface area per unit mass of sediment was considerably lower at SM006B, which suggest that the surface area of sediments is a key control parameter for microbial growth in sediments. Comparison of the BIOB results with exponential decay curves fitted to the data indicated that BIOB provided better fit for KN114A and SM006B in nutrient amended treatments, and for EL107 and KN114A in natural attenuation. In particular, BIOB was able to capture the initial slow biodegradation due to the lag phase in microbial growth. Sensitivity analyses revealed that oil biodegradation at all three locations were sensitive to nutrient concentration whereas SM006B was sensitive to initial biomass concentration due to its slow growth rate. Analyses were also performed to compare the half-lives of individual compounds with that of the overall polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

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Mathematical modeling of the biodegradation of residual hydrocarbon in a variably-saturated sand column

Cited by 28 publications

References 38 publications

Comparison of the Biodegradation of n-alkanes and Readily Biodegradable Substrates Using Open Mixed Culture under Aerobic, Anoxic and Anaerobic Conditions

Comparison of the Biodegradation of n-alkanes and Readily Biodegradable Substrates Using Open Mixed Culture under Aerobic, Anoxic and Anaerobic Conditions

Simulation of oil bioremediation in a tidally influenced beach: Spatiotemporal evolution of nutrient and dissolved oxygen

Evaluation of the biodegradation of Alaska North Slope oil in microcosms using the biodegradation model BIOB

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