Oxygen Transport across the Capillary Fringe in LNAPL Pool-Source Zones
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 140, Issue 12
Abstract
Transfer of oxygen across the capillary fringe and water table is a critical oxygen source for aerobic biodegradation of hydrocarbon light nonaqueous phase liquids (LNAPLs) at or near the water table. However, significant resistance to oxygen mass transfer may be associated with the capillary fringe. This work evaluates the hypothesis that a decrease in the water-saturated thickness of the capillary fringe due to the presence of a hydrocarbon LNAPL, and the reduced resistance to oxygen mass transfer in the hydrocarbon phase, will enhance oxygen transfer relative to natural reaeration. Oxygen flux in the absence and presence of an LNAPL pool is conceptually evaluated using the two-film model. Abiotic experiments in a bench-scale sand-tank reactor demonstrated that oxygen transport through the water table interface was enhanced when an LNAPL (dodecane) pool was present at the water table compared to natural reaeration. Biotic experiments demonstrated that the increased oxygen transport in the presence of the LNAPL pool also increased biodegradation of a solute (glucose) plume passing beneath the LNAPL pool. Biodegradation also apparently further bioenhanced the oxygen transfer.
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Acknowledgments
This research was partially supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under Grant No. 0093857. The authors thank Christian Schicke for his assistance in constructing the sand-tank reactor. The authors also thank Catherine A. Peters for reviewing an earlier version of this manuscript.
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Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 140 • Issue 12 • December 2014
Copyright
© 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Sep 21, 2013
Accepted: May 20, 2014
Published online: Jul 10, 2014
Published in print: Dec 1, 2014
Discussion open until: Dec 10, 2014
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