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Updated: Jun 20, 2026
10:30
Soil Lysimeter Excavation for Coupled Hydrological, Geochemical, and Microbiological Investigations
Published on: September 11, 2016
Feedbacks between hydrological heterogeneity and bioremediation induced biogeochemical transformations
A Englert1, S S Hubbard, K H Williams
1Earth Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, USA. Andreas.Englert@rub.de
Environmental Science & Technology
|August 28, 2009
Summary
Understanding subsurface heterogeneity is key for effective in situ remediation. This study reveals how hydrological and geochemical factors influence contaminant transport and reactions during biostimulation.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Geochemistry
- Subsurface Hydrology
Background:
- Optimizing in situ treatments requires understanding mass transport and reaction patterns in perturbed subsurface systems.
- Subsurface hydrological and geochemical heterogeneities significantly impact biostimulated reactions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and apply a procedure for analyzing spatial and temporal patterns of mass transport and reaction intensities.
- To investigate the influence of subsurface heterogeneity on biostimulation experiments.
Main Methods:
- Temporal moment analysis approach using a streamtube approximation.
- Analysis of time-lapse concentrations of bromide, acetate, iron(II), uranium(VI), and sulfate.
- Application to two successive field-scale biostimulation experiments over two years.
Main Results:
- Hydrological heterogeneity predominantly drives bromide and acetate delivery and sulfate reduction intensity.
- Geochemical heterogeneity primarily controls iron(II) reduction intensity.
- Uranium(VI) reduction intensity is influenced by both hydrological and geochemical heterogeneity.
- Feedbacks between heterogeneity and biogeochemical transformations, including precipitate formation causing clogging, were observed.
Conclusions:
- Subsurface heterogeneity plays a critical role in the success and interpretation of in situ remediation strategies.
- Biogeochemical transformations are complex and influenced by coupled hydrological and geochemical processes.
- Precipitate formation due to remediation can lead to operational challenges like clogging and flow path alteration.
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