Application of BIOPLUME II to simulate biodegradation: A study of an aviation fuel spill from a leaking underground storage tank in Traverse City, Michigan (Groundwater contamination)

[摘要] BIOPLUME II is a two-dimensional ground water transport model that incorporates decay terms to simulate biodegradation of organic compounds. First, the ground water data was studied, and trends in the contaminant concentrations of the indicator compounds benzene, toluene, and total xylenes (BTX) were determined to be influenced by precipitation, ground water and Lake Michigan elevations, and also interdiction field withdrawals. The model was applied to the Traverse City field site at which a leaking aviation fuel tank had contaminated the ground water. BIOPLUME II was able to calibrate the site conditions as well as the standard USGS transport code. Mass loss calculations were performed to verify the model. Over time, the contaminant source area has shrunk, and this fact was incorporated into the model to simulate field conditions after two years of the interdiction field remediating the plume. Various cleanup strategies were then compared to the existing interdiction field in terms of remediation time required.

[发布机构] Rice University

[效力级别] Environmental science