Modelling bioaugmentation in unsaturated porous media: The linuron herbicide example

Mikolaj Owsianiak, Arnaud Dechesne, Philip John Binning, Barth F. Smets

    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference abstract in proceedingsResearchpeer-review

    Abstract

    To protect groundwater resources against pesticides, bioaugmentation with microorganisms immobilized in solid carriers has been considered as a soil remediation strategy. We have developed a mathematical model to assess this bioremediation approach to remove the pesticide linuron from soils at various water saturation levels. A bacterium mineralizing linuron is heterogeneously distributed within a 3-D model domain in spherical hotspots of 2-mm diameter size. Diffusion and advection due to infiltration are the transport processes, and microbial growth follows first order kinetics. Without advection, a bead spacing distance of 5 mm at saturated conditions is required to achieve a bioremediation goal of 90% linuron mineralization in 1 year. The gas phase is an important parameter affecting the transport of linuron, however, linuron biodegradation is growth kinetics limited within a broad water saturation range. It is hypothesized that the selection of faster degraders can compensate for high amounts of required beads.
    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationGQ10 : CD-ROM
    VolumeKeynote S6
    PublisherIAHS Press
    Publication date2010
    Publication statusPublished - 2010
    EventGroundwater Quality Management in a Rapidly Changing World : 7th International Groundwater Quality Conference - Zurich, Switzerland
    Duration: 13 Jun 201018 Jun 2010
    Conference number: 7
    http://www.eawag.ch/medien/veranstaltungen/events/gq2010/index_EN

    Conference

    ConferenceGroundwater Quality Management in a Rapidly Changing World : 7th International Groundwater Quality Conference
    Number7
    Country/TerritorySwitzerland
    CityZurich
    Period13/06/201018/06/2010
    Internet address

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'Modelling bioaugmentation in unsaturated porous media: The linuron herbicide example'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this