title: Sustainability assessment of electrokinetic bioremediation compared with alternative remediation options for a petroleum release site.
abstract: Sustainable management practices can be applied to the remediation of contaminated land to maximise the economic, environmental and social benefits of the process. The Sustainable Remediation Forum UK (SuRF-UK) have developed a framework to support the implementation of sustainable practices within contaminated land management and decision making. This study applies the framework, including qualitative (Tier 1) and semi-quantitative (Tier 2) sustainability assessments, to a complex site where the principal contaminant source is unleaded gasoline, giving rise to a dissolved phase BTEX and MTBE plume. The pathway is groundwater migration through a chalk aquifer and the receptor is a water supply borehole. A hydraulic containment system (HCS) has been installed to manage the MTBE plume migration. The options considered to remediate the MTBE source include monitored natural attenuation (MNA), air sparging/soil vapour extraction (AS/SVE), pump and treat (PT) and electrokinetic-enhanced bioremediation (EK-BIO). A sustainability indictor set from the SuRF-UK framework, including priority indicator categories selected during a stakeholder engagement workshop, was used to frame the assessments. At Tier 1 the options are ranked based on qualitative supporting information, whereas in Tier 2 a multi-criteria analysis is applied. Furthermore, the multi-criteria analysis was refined for scenarios where photovoltaics (PVs) are included and amendments are excluded from the EK-BIO option. Overall, the analysis identified AS/SVE and EK-BIO as more sustainable remediation options at this site than either PT or MNA. The wider implications of this study include: (1) an appraisal of the management decision from each Tier of the assessment with the aim to highlight areas for time and cost savings for similar assessments in the future; (2) the observation that EK-BIO performed well against key indicator categories compared to the other intensive treatments; and (3) introducing methods to improve the sustainability of the EK-BIO treatment design (such as PVs) did not have a significant effect in this instance.
authors: Groundwater Protection & Restoration Group, University of Sheffield, Department of Civil & Structural Engineering, Kroto Research Institute, Broad Land, Sheffield, S3 7HQ, UK. Electronic address: rich.gill87@gmail.com.
authors: R T
authors: RT
authors: Gill
authors: Groundwater Protection & Restoration Group, University of Sheffield, Department of Civil & Structural Engineering, Kroto Research Institute, Broad Land, Sheffield, S3 7HQ, UK.
authors: S F
authors: SF
authors: Thornton
authors: Cardiff University, School of Engineering, Queen's Buildings, Cardiff, CF24 3AA, UK.
authors: M J
authors: MJ
authors: Harbottle
authors: Groundwater Protection & Restoration Group, University of Sheffield, Department of Civil & Structural Engineering, Kroto Research Institute, Broad Land, Sheffield, S3 7HQ, UK; Shell Global Solutions, Lange Kleiweg 40, 2288 GK, Rijswijk, The Netherlands.
authors: J W N
authors: JW
authors: Smith
mesh_terms: D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D002119:Calcium Carbonate; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D003657:Decision Making; D052918:Environmental Restoration and Remediation / Q000379:methods*; D060587:Groundwater; D008738:Methyl Ethers / Q000032:analysis; D010578:Petroleum; D059392:Petroleum Pollution; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis; D006113:United Kingdom; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis; D014881:Water Supply
chemical_list: D008738:Methyl Ethers; D010578:Petroleum; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C096680:tertiary-amyl methyl ether; D002119:Calcium Carbonate
keywords: Electrokinetic bioremediation; Green remediation; MTBE; Sustainable remediation