53SIMPLE PLANT-BASED BIOREMEDIATION DESIGN STRATEGIES FOR ORGANIC POLLUTANTS |
M. Narayanan1, L.E. Erickson1, and L.C. Davis2, 1Chemical Engineering and 2Biochemistry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506 |
Vegetation is found to play a key role in the bioremediation of contaminants prevalent in polluted soils and ground water. Vegetation enhances the in situ biodegradation of organic compounds contaminating soils and ground water. Microbially mediated transformations at the root zone are facilitated by the plants supporting the indigenous micro-organisms. The movement of water may also be influenced by plants that have an effective root system.
Plants may be viewed as a solar driven pump-and-treat system which can contain a contaminant plume and prevent the spread of contamination. Alfalfa plants, in particular, greatly help in transporting contaminants from deep-saturated zone to vadose zone of the soil. Plants may also help to contain the downward movement of contaminated water by reducing infiltration. Laboratory investigations carried out in a growth chamber in presence of alfalfa plants provided evidence regarding the biodegradation of organic compounds such as toluene, phenol, and trichloroethylene (TCE). For volatile organic compounds such as TCE, vegetation provides a slow, controlled release of compounds as compared to rapid volatilization of TCE from contaminated soils. Alfalfa plant tolerance to high concentration of these organics in contaminated water was also significant. Simulated results from numerical models were compared with obtained experimental data regarding the fate of pollutants. Sufficient information is available to design plant-based bioremediation systems for many sites. Several design strategies will be presented. Key words: vegetation, bioremediation, organic contaminants, phytoremediation,. TCE
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