title: Comparing the effects of various fuel alcohols on the natural attenuation of benzene plumes using a general substrate interaction model.
abstract: The effects of five fuel alcohols (methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, iso-butanol and n-butanol) on the natural attenuation of benzene were compared using a previously developed numerical model (General Substrate Interaction Module--GSIM) and a probabilistic sensitivity analysis. Simulations with a 30 gal dissolving LNAPL (light non-aqueous phase liquid) source consisting of a range of gasoline blends (10% and 85% v:v alcohol content) suggest that all fuel alcohols can hinder the natural attenuation of benzene, due mainly to accelerated depletion of dissolved oxygen and a decrease in the specific degradation rate for benzene (due to catabolite repression and metabolic flux dilution). Simulations for blends with 10% alcohol, assuming a homogeneous sandy aquifer, inferred maximum benzene plume elongations (relative to a regular gasoline release) of 26% for ethanol, 47% for iso-butanol, 147% for methanol, 188% for 1-propanol, and 265% for n-butanol. The corresponding elongation percentages for blends with 85% alcohol were generally smaller (i.e., 25%, 54%, 135%, 163%, and 181%, respectively), reflecting a lower content of benzene in the simulated release. Benzene plume elongation and longevity were more pronounced in the presence of alcohols that biodegrade slower (e.g., propanol and n-butanol), forming longer and more persistent alcohol plumes. Conversely, ethanol and iso-butanol exhibited the lowest potential to hinder the natural attenuation of benzene, illustrating the significant effect that a small difference in chemical structure (e.g., isomers) can have on biodegradation. Overall, simulations were highly sensitive to site-specific biokinetic coefficients for alcohol degradation, which forewarns against generalizations about the level of impact of specific fuel alcohols on benzene plume dynamics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, MS-317, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX 77005, USA. degomez@rice.edu
authors.forename: Diego E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Gomez
authors.forename: Pedro J J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Alvarez
mesh_terms: D000438:Alcohols / Q000737:chemistry; D001554:Benzene / Q000378:metabolism*; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D014872:Water Movements
chemical_list: D000438:Alcohols; D001554:Benzene