Modeling Enhanced In Situ Denitrification in Groundwater
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 128, Issue 6
Abstract
A two-dimensional numerical solute transport model was developed for simulating an enhanced in situ denitrification experiment performed in a nitrate-contaminated aquifer on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. In this experiment, formate was injected for a period of 26 days into the carbon-limited aquifer to stimulate denitrification. Calibration of the vertical-profile site model was demonstrated through error analysis and comparison with formate, nitrate, and nitrite concentration data monitored along a transect of three multilevel groundwater sampling wells for 75 days after initial injection. Formate utilization rates were approximately 142 and 38 μM/day for nitrate and nitrite reduction, respectively. Nitrate and nitrite utilization rates were approximately 29 and 8 μM/day, respectively. Nitrate utilization rates under enhanced conditions were 1 order of magnitude greater than previously reported naturally occurring rates. The nitrite production rate was approximately 29 μM/day. Persistence of nitrite was attributed to a combination of factors, including electron donor (formate) limitation late in the experiment, preferential utilization of nitrate as an electron acceptor, and greater nitrite production relative to nitrite utilization.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 128 • Issue 6 • June 2002
Pages: 491 - 504
Copyright
Copyright © 2002 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jul 31, 2000
Accepted: Aug 20, 2001
Published online: May 15, 2002
Published in print: Jun 2002
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