Progression of natural attenuation processes at a crude-oil spill site

Cozzarelli, Isabelle M.; Bekins, Barbara A.; Baedecker, Mary Jo; Aiken, George R.; Eganhouse, Robert P.; Tuccillo, Mary Ellen

doi:10.1016/s0169-7722(01)00174-7

Cited by 169 publications

(142 citation statements)

References 14 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

125

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Shortly after the spill, oxygen became depleted near the source, and anaerobic terminal electron accepting processes (TEAPs) involving Mn oxide minerals, Fe oxyhydroxide minerals, and methanogenesis became important Cozzarelli et al, 2001]. The attenuation of the organic carbon in the aquifer has resulted in observed secondary plumes of depleted dissolved oxygen (DO) and elevated levels of dissolved Mn 21 , Fe 21 , and CH 4 .…”

Section: Bemidji Oil Spill Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

Reactive transport modeling of geochemical controls on secondary water quality impacts at a crude oil spill site near Bemidji, MN

Bekins

Cozzarelli

et al. 2015

Water Resources Research

Self Cite

131

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Anaerobic biodegradation of organic amendments and contaminants in aquifers can trigger secondary water quality impacts that impair groundwater resources. Reactive transport models help elucidate how diverse geochemical reactions control the spatiotemporal evolution of these impacts. Using extensive monitoring data from a crude oil spill site near Bemidji, Minnesota (USA), we implemented a comprehensive model that simulates secondary plumes of depleted dissolved O 2 and elevated concentrations of Mn 21 , Fe 21 , CH 4 , and Ca 21 over a two-dimensional cross section for 30 years following the spill. The model produces observed changes by representing multiple oil constituents and coupled carbonate and hydroxide chemistry. The model includes reactions with carbonates and Fe and Mn mineral phases, outgassing of CH 4 and CO 2 gas phases, and sorption of Fe, Mn, and H 1 . Model results demonstrate that most of the carbon loss from the oil (70%) occurs through direct outgassing from the oil source zone, greatly limiting the amount of CH 4 cycled down-gradient. The vast majority of reduced Fe is strongly attenuated on sediments, with most (91%) in the sorbed form in the model. Ferrous carbonates constitute a small fraction of the reduced Fe in simulations, but may be important for furthering the reduction of ferric oxides. The combined effect of concomitant redox reactions, sorption, and dissolved CO 2 inputs from source-zone degradation successfully reproduced observed pH. The model demonstrates that secondary water quality impacts may depend strongly on organic carbon properties, and impacts may decrease due to sorption and direct outgassing from the source zone.

show abstract

Section: Bemidji Oil Spill Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

Reactive transport modeling of geochemical controls on secondary water quality impacts at a crude oil spill site near Bemidji, MN

Bekins

Cozzarelli

et al. 2015

Water Resources Research

Self Cite

131

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The model was based on field observations that provided substantial evidence for the sequential use of electron acceptors Cozzarelli et al, 2001. Essaid et al (1995) included relatively complex representations of sequential biodegradation processes, but simple substrate and source representations.…”

Section: Inverse Modeling Of the Bemidji Crude Oil Spill Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

Inverse modeling of BTEX dissolution and biodegradation at the Bemidji, MN crude-oil spill site

Essaid

Cozzarelli

Eganhouse

et al. 2003

Journal of Contaminant Hydrology

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) solute transport and biodegradation code BIOMOC was used in conjunction with the USGS universal inverse modeling code UCODE to quantify field-scale hydrocarbon dissolution and biodegradation at the USGS Toxic Substances Hydrology Program crude-oil spill research site located near Bemidji, MN. This inverse modeling effort used the extensive historical data compiled at the Bemidji site from 1986 to 1997 and incorporated a multicomponent transport and biodegradation model. Inverse modeling was successful when coupled transport and degradation processes were incorporated into the model and a single dissolution rate coefficient was used for all BTEX components. Assuming a stationary oil body, we simulated benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, m,p-xylene, and o-xylene (BTEX) concentrations in the oil and ground water, respectively, as well as dissolved oxygen. Dissolution from the oil phase and aerobic and anaerobic degradation processes were represented. The parameters estimated were the recharge rate, hydraulic conductivity, dissolution rate coefficient, individual first-order BTEX anaerobic degradation rates, and transverse dispersivity. Results were similar for simulations obtained using several alternative conceptual models of the hydrologic system and biodegradation processes. The dissolved BTEX concentration data were not sufficient to discriminate between these conceptual models. The calibrated simulations reproduced the general large-scale evolution of the plume, but did not reproduce the observed small-scale spatial and temporal variability in concentrations. The estimated anaerobic biodegradation rates for toluene and o-xylene were greater than the dissolution rate coefficient. However, the estimated anaerobic biodegradation rates for benzene, ethylbenzene, and m,p-xylene were less than the dissolution rate coefficient. The calibrated model was used to determine the BTEX mass balance in the oil body and groundwater plume. This article is a U.S. government work, and is not subject to copyright in the United States.Dissolution from the oil body was greatest for compounds with large effective solubilities (benzene) and with large degradation rates (toluene and o-xylene). Anaerobic degradation removed 77% of the BTEX that dissolved into the water phase and aerobic degradation removed 17%. Although goodness-of-fit measures for the alternative conceptual models were not significantly different, predictions made with the models were quite variable. D

show abstract

“…Microbially mediated ecosystem resilience underlies monitored natural attenuation (Botton et al, 2006). Although many field studies of monitored natural attenuation for a variety of chemical pollutants have been previously reported (for example, Dojka et al, 1998;Bekins et al, 2001;Cozzarelli et al, 2001;Kleikemper et al, 2002;Suarez and Rifai, 2002;Ulrich et al, 2003;Griebler et al, 2004;Hunkeler et al, 2005;Takahata et al, 2006), to our knowledge, none have comprehensively integrated (1) the long-term field evidence for contaminant elimination, (2) temporal variability in microbial community composition and (3) the composition of an elaborate eukaryotic microbial food chain responding to the contamination.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Subsurface ecosystem resilience: long-term attenuation of subsurface contaminants supports a dynamic microbial community

et al. 2009

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The propensity for groundwater ecosystems to recover from contamination by organic chemicals (in this case, coal-tar waste) is of vital concern for scientists and engineers who manage polluted sites. The microbially mediated cleanup processes are also of interest to ecologists because they are an important mechanism for the resilience of ecosystems. In this study we establish the long-term dynamic nature of a coal-tar waste-contaminated site and its microbial community. We present 16 years of chemical monitoring data, tracking responses of a groundwater ecosystem to organic contamination (naphthalene, xylenes, toluene, 2-methyl naphthalene and acenaphthylene) associated with coal-tar waste. In addition, we analyzed small-subunit (SSU) ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes from two contaminated wells at multiple time points over a 2-year period. Principle component analysis of community rRNA fingerprints (terminal-restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP)) showed that the composition of native microbial communities varied temporally, yet remained distinctive from well to well. After screening and analysis of 1178 cloned SSU rRNA genes from Bacteria, Archaea and Eukarya, we discovered that the site supports a robust variety of eukaryotes (for example, alveolates (especially anaerobic and predatory ciliates), stramenopiles, fungi, even the small metazoan flatworm, Suomina) that are absent from an uncontaminated control well. This study links the dynamic microbial composition of a contaminated site with the long-term attenuation of its subsurface contaminants.

show abstract

Progression of natural attenuation processes at a crude-oil spill site

Cited by 169 publications

References 14 publications

Reactive transport modeling of geochemical controls on secondary water quality impacts at a crude oil spill site near Bemidji, MN

Reactive transport modeling of geochemical controls on secondary water quality impacts at a crude oil spill site near Bemidji, MN

Inverse modeling of BTEX dissolution and biodegradation at the Bemidji, MN crude-oil spill site

Subsurface ecosystem resilience: long-term attenuation of subsurface contaminants supports a dynamic microbial community

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About