The geochemical evolution of low-molecular-weight organic acids derived from the degradation of petroleum contaminants in groundwater

Cozzarelli, Isabelle M.; Baedecker, Mary Jo; Eganhouse, Robert P.; Goerlitz, Donald F.

doi:10.1016/0016-7037(94)90511-8

Cited by 185 publications

(84 citation statements)

References 42 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…A small area of the aquifer was contaminated by oil spillage in 1979. The site was extensively studied after the oil spill by the U.S. Geological Survey Bennett et al, 1993;Eganhouse et al, 1993;Cozzarelli et al, 1994). The aquifer sediments are Pleistocene age glacial deposits (outwash primarily) resulting from Wisconsin glaciation.…”

Section: Site Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The apparent absence of crystalline phases here indicates that the Bemidji DIRB can access these phases over the time span and under the in-situ conditions presented or, alternatively, that an abiotic reductive dissolution process such as organic acids in combination with Fe(II) (Hering and Stumm, 1990) was operative. Organic analyses of groundwater from the contaminated plume Cozzarelli et al, 1994) has indicated the presence of a wide range of organic acids resulting from the microbiologic transformation of aromatic hydrocarbons under anoxic conditions. Second, a significant residual concentration of the disordered, authigenic Fe(III) oxide was found in the source sediment (7% of Fe TOT by Mössbauer spectroscopy; 13.0% by DCB extraction, Table 1).…”

Section: Microbiologic Changes To the Fe(iii) Oxide Fractionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Biogeochemical transformation of Fe minerals in a petroleum-contaminated aquifer

Zachara

Kukkadapu

Gassman

et al. 2004

Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract-The Bemidji aquifer in Minnesota, USA is a well-studied site of subsurface petroleum contamination. The site contains an anoxic groundwater plume where soluble petroleum constituents serve as an energy source for a region of methanogenesis near the source and bacterial Fe(III) reduction further down gradient. Methanogenesis apparently begins when bioavailable Fe(III) is exhausted within the sediment. Past studies indicate that Geobacter species and Geothrix fermentens-like organisms are the primary dissimilatory Fe-reducing bacteria at this site. The Fe mineralogy of the pristine aquifer sediments and samples from the methanogenic (source) and Fe(III) reducing zones were characterized in this study to identify microbiologic changes to Fe valence and mineral distribution, and to identify whether new biogenic mineral phases had formed. Methods applied included X-ray diffraction; X-ray fluorescence (XRF); and chemical extraction; optical, transmission, and scanning electron microscopy; and Mössbauer spectroscopy.All of the sediments were low in total Fe content (Ϸ 1%) and exhibited complex Fe-mineralogy. The bulk pristine sediment and its sand, silt, and clay-sized fractions were studied in detail. The pristine sediments contained Fe(II) and Fe(III) mineral phases. Ferrous iron represented approximately 50% of Fe TOT . The relative Fe(II) concentration increased in the sand fraction, and its primary mineralogic residence was clinochlore with minor concentrations found as a ferroan calcite grain cement in carbonate lithic fragments. Fe(III) existed in silicates (epidote, clinochlore, muscovite) and Fe(III) oxides of detrital and authigenic origin. The detrital Fe(III) oxides included hematite and goethite in the form of mm-sized nodular concretions and smaller-sized dispersed crystallites, and euhedral magnetite grains. Authigenic Fe(III) oxides increased in concentration with decreasing particle size through the silt and clay fraction. Chemical extraction and Mössbauer analysis indicated that this was a ferrihydrite like-phase. Quantitative mineralogic and Fe(II/III) ratio comparisons between the pristine and contaminated sediments were not possible because of textural differences. However, comparisons between the texturally-similar source (where bioavailable Fe(III) had been exhausted) and Fe(III) reducing zone sediments (where bioavailable Fe(III) remained) indicated that dispersed detrital, crystalline Fe(III) oxides and a portion of the authigenic, poorly crystalline Fe(III) oxide fraction had been depleted from the source zone sediment by microbiologic activity. Little or no effect of microbiologic activity was observed on silicate Fe(III). The presence of residual "ferrihydrite" in the most bioreduced, anoxic plume sediment (source) implied that a portion of the authigenic Fe(III) oxides were biologically inaccessible in weathered, lithic fragment interiors. Little evidence was found for the modern biogenesis of authigenic ferrous-containing mineral phases, perhaps with the exception of thin siderite...

show abstract

Section: Site Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Microbiologic Changes To the Fe(iii) Oxide Fractionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biogeochemical transformation of Fe minerals in a petroleum-contaminated aquifer

Zachara

Kukkadapu

Gassman

et al. 2004

Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Presently, limited field data exist on the concentration, stability, fate and transport of metabolites in hydrocarbon polluted plumes. Under anaerobic conditions, metabolic by-products include benzoic acid, one to three methylbenzoic acids and other aromatic acids that are structurally related to alkylbenzene precursors, alicyclic acids and low molecular weight aliphatic acids (Cozzarelli et al, 1994;Beller et al, 1995;Cozzarelli et al, 1995). It has been shown recently for a fuel contaminated aquifer, that e.g.…”

Section: Specific Metabolic Productsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intrinsic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Biodegradation for Groundwater Remediation

Tiehm

Schulze

2003

Oil & Gas Science and Technology - Rev. IFP

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Résumé -Biodégradation intrinsèque des hydrocarbures aromatiques pour la réhabilitation de nappes aquifères -La biodégradation intrinsèque, qui représente le processus clé de l'atténuation naturelle, est de plus en plus couramment envisagée comme une alternative aux procédés plus actifs pour la réhabilitation de sites contaminés. Dans cet article, la biodégradation intrinsèque des BTEX et des HAP est discutée. La première partie passe en revue la compréhension actuelle de la dégradation microbienne des hydrocarbures aromatiques ainsi que les méthodes disponibles pour l'évaluation de la bioréhabilitation intrinsèque. Le concept et les résultats obtenus lors d'une étude de cas sont présentés dans une seconde partie. La biodégradation anaérobie et la biodégradation aérobie contribuent toutes deux à l'élimination des polluants de sites contaminés, comme les anciennes usines à gaz ou les décharges polluées par des huiles de pyrolyse. Les processus de biodégradation intrinsèque engendrent habituellement une suite de zones de redox (méthanogène, sulfatoréductrice, Fe(III)-réductrice, dénitifiante, aérobie) dans le panache des polluants dans l'aquifère en aval de la source de contamination. Les méthodes d'évaluation dans ces différentes zones de redox comprennent l'analyse hydro-et géochimique, la mesure des potentiels redox et la détermination de l'hydrogène. La biodégradation des polluants visés peut être démontrée par la modification des profils de polluant, par le fractionnement isotopique, par des produits spécifiques du métabolisme et par des études en microcosmes sur des échantillons du terrain. Les études en microcosmes constituent un outil particulièrement utile pour identifier les mécanismes de dégradation et pour étudier le rôle d'accepteurs d'électrons spécifiques et des conditions redox. Lors d'une étude de cas, nous avons examiné la biodégradation intrinsèque d'un site pollué par des huiles de pyrolyse. Du fait de la faible capacité de sorption de l'aquifère, la diminution de la concentration en polluant le long du panache d'eau polluée a été majoritairement attribuée à de la biodégradation. La réduction des sulfates et la réduction de Fe(III) étaient les principaux processus redox au coeur du panache d'eau souterraine. Les changements de profil des polluants le long du panache indiquaient l'existence de processus de biodégradation actifs, par exemple, la biodégradation du toluène et du naphtalène dans des zones anaérobies. Dans des microcosmes pollués avec des polluants modèles, la biodégradation du toluène et de l'éthylbenzène a été observée en conditions sulfatoréductrices. La dégradation du toluène, de l'éthylbenzène, du benzène et du naphtalène avait lieu en présence de Fe(III). En conditions aérobies, tous les BTEX et HAP étaient rapidement dégradés.Abstract -Intrinsic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Biodegradation for Groundwater RemediationIntrinsic biodegradation, representing the key process in natural attenuation, is increasingly considered for the remediation of contaminated sites as an alternative to mor...

show abstract

“…The objective of the project was to improve the understanding of the mobilization, transport, and fate of crude oil in the shallow subsurface. Work at the Bemidji site has ranged from characterization of microscopicscale microbes-mineral interactions (Hiebert and Bennett, 1992;Bennett et al, 2000;Roberts, 2004;Rogers and Bennett, 2004) to plume-scale geochemical and microbial evolution Bennett et al, 1993;Eganhouse et al, 1993;Cozzarelli et al, 1994;Bekins et al, 1999), and has included testing of complex models of multiphase flow, reactive transport, and biodegradation (Essaid et al, 1995(Essaid et al, , 2003Curtis, 2003;Molins et al, 2010). More recent work focused on processes occurring in the vadose zone (Chaplin et al, 2002;Amos et al, 2005;Sihota and Mayer, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Documentation of time-scales for onset of natural attenuation in an aquifer treated by a crude-oil recovery system

Ponsin

Maier²,

Guelorget³

et al. 2015

Science of The Total Environment

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

International audienceA pipeline transporting crude-oil broke in a nature reserve in 2009 and spilled 5100 m(3) of oil that partly reached the aquifer and formed progressively a floating oil lens. Groundwater monitoring started immediately after the spill and crude-oil recovery by dual pump-and-skim technology was operated after oil lens formation. This study aimed at documenting the implementation of redox-specific natural attenuation processes in the saturated zone and at assessing whether dissolved compounds were degraded. Seven targeted water sampling campaigns were done during four years in addition to a routine monitoring of hydrocarbon concentrations. Liquid oil reached the aquifer within 2.5 months, and anaerobic processes, from denitrification to reduction of sulfate, were observable after 8 months. Methanogenesis appeared on site after 28 months. Stable carbon isotope analyses after 16 months showed maximum shifts in delta C-13 of +4.9 +/- 0.22 parts per thousand for toluene, +2.4 +/- 0.19 parts per thousand for benzene and +0.9 +/- 0.51 parts per thousand for ethylbenzene, suggesting anaerobic degradation of these compounds in the source zone. Estimations of fluxes of inorganic carbon produced by biodegradation revealed that, in average, 60% of inorganic carbon production was attributable to sulfate reduction. This percentage tended to decrease with time while the production of carbon attributable to methanogenesis was increasing. Within the investigation time frame, mass balance estimations showed that biodegradation is a more efficient process for control of dissolved concentrations compared to pumping and filtration on an activated charcoal filter. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

show abstract

The geochemical evolution of low-molecular-weight organic acids derived from the degradation of petroleum contaminants in groundwater

Cited by 185 publications

References 42 publications

Biogeochemical transformation of Fe minerals in a petroleum-contaminated aquifer

Biogeochemical transformation of Fe minerals in a petroleum-contaminated aquifer

Intrinsic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Biodegradation for Groundwater Remediation

Documentation of time-scales for onset of natural attenuation in an aquifer treated by a crude-oil recovery system

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About