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Model for Bioremediation of Oil contaminated Soil System-A Simulation Study

IR@C-MMACS: CSIR-Centre for Mathematical Modelling and Computer Simulation, Bangalore

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Title Model for Bioremediation of Oil contaminated Soil System-A Simulation Study
 
Creator T R, Krishna Mohan
 
Subject Environment Pollution
Mathematical Modelling & Simulations
Measurement and Data Generation/Collection
 
Description Pollution has reached levels which demand immediate attention and scientific and technological solutions are required on an urgent basis. We are concerned in this report with bioremediation of organically contaminated soil and groundwater. Specifically, we have in mind the situation obtaining in the oil fields where the soil system is contaminated with crude oil during its extraction process. To achieve managed in situ bioremediation in practice, treated water is recycled with added nutrients into the ground surface so that oxygen and nitrogen are carried with the water to the subsurface regions. Sorption, convective-dispersive flow and chemical and biological transformations are the chief processes involved which have to be modelled. A simulation model that combines a completely mixed macropore flow model with a contaminated aggregates bioremediation model (Dhawan et al., 1993) was employed by us (Gogoi et al., 1998) in the development of a treatability protocol for bioremediation of contaminated soil at Borhola oil fields. Assam. India. An unusual feature of this simulation model is that it is governed by coupled partial differential equation (PDEs) and ordinary differential equation (ODEs). PDEs model the diffusion and biodegradation processes occurring in the micropores of soil aggregates while the ODEs describe the bioremediation in the macropores, the interstitial spaces between soil aggregates; both the PDEs and ODEs are nonlinear. Simulation models are a must in this case since laboratory experiments take periods of the order of months. The model was applied to the case of high initial contaminant concentrations as observed at Borhola oil fields, Assam. Sensitivity of the model to the parameters was seen to be nonlinear in nature. Alternate normalisation schemes are required to place in context some of the results. the model was tuned with the experimental results available from Regional Research Laboratory (RRL), Jorhat, where field pilot studies of a bioremediation system for Borhola were conducted over a period of one year. Our studies showed that the model is inefficient and that it is impractical to use it for high initial contaminant concentrations. Ways of improving the model efficiency as well as comprehensiveness are discussed.
 
Publisher CSIR Centre for Mathematical Modelling and Computer Simulation
 
Date 1998-12
 
Type Monograph
NonPeerReviewed
 
Format application/pdf
 
Identifier http://cir.cmmacs.ernet.in/225/1/PDCM9806.pdf
T R, Krishna Mohan (1998) Model for Bioremediation of Oil contaminated Soil System-A Simulation Study. Project Report. CSIR Centre for Mathematical Modelling and Computer Simulation , C-MMACS,Bangalore 560037,India. (Unpublished)
 
Relation http://cir.cmmacs.ernet.in/225/