The role of biodegradation during bioventing of soil contaminated with jet fuel

The enhancing rem oval of kerosene (jet fuel) from contaminated soil during bioventing resulting from biodegradation was compared to the physical removal by evaporation only on bench-scale columns at the controlled temperature of 20°C (±2.5°C). Carbon dioxide-free air and nitrogen were used as flushing gases, at the constant continuous flow rate of 1 dm³/h. Kerosene concentrations in soil up to 35000 mg/kg were not toxic for indigenous microbial population. Much slower kerosene biodegradation rates observed for soil from a contaminated site, as compared to soil artificialy contaminated with kerosene, were the result of a lower bioavailability of “aged” kerosene, and the presence of compounds that might be persistent or toxic to kerosene-specific degraders. The inhibitory effect of toluene to indigenous microorganisms was found at above 75% of the toluene saturation concentrations in the gas phase. After 29 d, the overall bioventing efficiency was 17–23%, depending on whether CO₂ production or O₂ uptake wasused for caculations, as compared to the removal of 10% when biodegradation was excluded. The increase in efficiency by 50–100% owing to biodegradation would be more spectacular at lowr kerosene concentrations during the “tailing” phase, with diffusionlimited desorption, and much lower evaporation of less volatile constituents. Limitation of bioventing as a result of low bioavailability related to intraparticle sorption of residual contamination is discussed.