Bioventing revisited: efficacy of enhanced biodegradation for sites with mobile LNAPL

Bioventing is a remediation technology that enhances aerobic biodegradation of petroleum-affected soil in the vadose zone by introducing oxygen to the subsurface. Bioventing was historically considered effective for decreasing petroleum hydrocarbons concentrations in soil but discounted for sites where mobile light non-aqueous phase liquid (LNAPL) accumulated in wells. While the science behind bioventing has not changed, the conceptual understanding of LNAPL depletion processes and framework for evaluating the efficacy of LNAPL remediation technologies has changed markedly since the 1990s. This shift leads to a new perspective on the utility and effectiveness of bioventing compared to other LNAPL remedial alternatives. A case study is used to illustrate that mass depletion by bioventing often outperforms hydraulic recovery over time. Biodegradation processes enhanced by bioventing deplete LNAPL constituents in mobile and residual LNAPL in the LNAPL smear zone, which means that bioventing can address a larger mass of LNAPL and may induce a beneficial composition change. Hydraulic LNAPL recovery technologies only access the mobile LNAPL and do not induce a composition change. Furthermore, for low LNAPL recoverability (transmissivity), bioventing typically uses less energy and produces less waste per unit mass of hydrocarbon removed than hydraulic recovery, making bioventing a more sustainable remedial technology.