Purpose:

Groundwater contamination related to the production, handling and use of rocket propellants such as ammonium perchlorate has been identified as a widespread problem at Department of Defense (DoD), Department of Energy (DOE) and defense contractor facilities. Few cost-effective technologies currently exist for the treatment of perchlorate-contaminated groundwater. Of the technologies being developed, bioremediation is among the most promising because it has the potential to destroy perchlorate rather than transferring it to another waste stream requiring costly treatment or disposal. Recent bench- and field-scale demonstrations are providing strong evidence that varying active and passive in situ bioremediation approaches can provide a less costly and less Operations & Maintenance (O&M)-intensive approach to remediating perchlorate-impacted groundwater than ex situ technologies. Specifically, in situ bioremediation has the potential to both destroy perchlorate source areas and to control the migration of the perchlorate plumes that are threatening the nation's drinking water supplies.

Description:

This project will demonstrate the efficacy of in situ bioremediation for perchlorate-impacted groundwater and will compare active and semi-passive in situ bioremediation approaches, to generate design and cost information that DoD project managers will require to design and implement in situ bioremediation at perchlorate-impacted sites. The different electron donor delivery methodologies to be evaluated include: 1) an active in situ biobarrier where groundwater is captured, amended with an optimized concentration of a soluble electron donor such as food-grade acetate (e.g., vinegar) or sugars; and 2) a semi-passive approach involving rapid batch injection of soluble electron donors via injection wells installed across a section of the perchlorate plume.

Benefits:

Current approaches for the remediation of perchlorate-impacted groundwater typically involve long-term pump-and-treat solutions. Recent cost estimates for treatment of perchlorate-impacted groundwater suggest that significant cost savings can be realized using in situ bioremediation over available ex situ options. Given the number of large perchlorate-impacted DoD and related contractor sites that may require groundwater remediation in the coming years, in situ bioremediation could represent cost savings in the $100Ms to DoD. Furthermore, this cost does not reflect the benefits that can be gained through the use of in situ bioremediation to destroy perchlorate source areas, which may shorten the duration and cost of remediation activities. (Anticipated Project Completion - 2007)

Contacts:

Technical Contact:
Mr. Evan Cox
GeoSyntec Consultants
130 Research Lane, Suite 2
Guelph, Ontario N1G 5G3
Telephone: (519) 822-2230
Fax: (519) 822-3151
E-mail: ecox@geosyntec.com

DoD Liaison Officer:
Mr. Bryan Harre
NFESC, Code 411
1100 23rd Avenue
Port Hueneme, CA 93043
Telephone: (805) 982-1795
Fax: (805) 982-4304