Title : Evaluation of NZVI injection at the contaminated site using newly developed software
Abstract:
Nanoscale Zero-Valent Iron (nZVI) has emerged as a promising remediation agent for in situ degradation of chlorinated solvents. Different approaches have been tested to enhance the properties of nZVI (reactivity, migration and stability) for environmental application. For the assessment of nZVI application, it is needed to have a complete overview of remediation processes via molecular-genetic, physicochemical and chemical analysis of the groundwater as well as geological parameters of the site.
In this study, nZVI was injected in combination with a detergent and the application of a DC electric current at a site contaminated by chlorinated ethenes. The monitoring period started before the nZVI application and lasted for six months to study its long-term effects on the site. Physicochemical parameters were measured at site and samples of groundwater were collected for molecular-genetic and chemical analysis. Specifically, the real-time qPCR analysis was used to detect the total bacterial biomass and the presence of key enzymes and microbial consortia involved in the reductive dehalogenation and the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used for analysis of contaminants and products of dechlorination.
The influence of the injection on bioremediation processes was investigated using a newly-developed software focused on bioremediation of chlorinated ethenes. This user-friendly software enables an interpretation of input data, resulting in the evaluation of the potential for natural bioremediation at the contaminated site and also in the assessment of the effects of remediation application. To ensure widespread user availability, the program was created in Microsoft Excel.
Audience take away:
• A new application of nZVI in combination with detergent and DC current at the contaminated site.
• The software proved to be an effective tool for the remediation-performance evaluation.
• Combination of nZVI, detergent and DC current had a positive impact on the remediation performance.
• Tested remediation technology did not have a long-term negative effect on tested bacteria.
