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Date of Award

2016

Document Type

Campus Access Master's Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Environmental Engineering (MS)

Administrative Home Department

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Advisor 1

Jennifer G. Becker

Advisor 2

Eric A. Seagren

Committee Member 1

Alex S. Mayer

Abstract

Tetrachloroethene (PCE) is a common groundwater contaminant often existing in the form of a dense aqueous phase liquid (DNAPL), which dissolves slowly, creating a persistent source of groundwater contamination. The goal of this work is to explore the impact inhibition has on the bioenhancment of DNAPL dissolution via PCE biotransformation. To accomplish this goal, the model developed by Wesseldyke (2013) was modified to incorporate the kinetic model of Huang (2009) for the dehalorespiring bacterium Desulfuromonas michiganensis BB1, which includes self-inhibition, biomass inactivation, and competitive inhibition. The revised model was used to examine the effects of inhibition and inactivation on PCE DNAPL pool dissolution bioenhancement in an intermediate-scale flow cell (IFSC) experiment. PCE dissolution was most affected by the addition of self-inhibition and competitive inhibition, which decreased dissolution. Additionally, a combination of initial media heterogeneities in the IFSC and bioclogging caused preferential flow along the PCE pool, and increased PCE dissolution.

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