DESIGN EQUATIONS FOR SOIL AERATION VIA BIOVENTING

Biodegradation enhanced by aeration through soil venting, a technique commonly referred to as bioventing, is gaining in popularity as a mean s for in situ remediation of soils contaminated with organic compounds . The effectiveness of this technique at a particular site is dependen t upon achieving and maintaining sufficient oxygen levels in the conta minated soil zones to support aerobic biodegradation. This paper uses analytic and numerical models of the gas flow in soil surrounding vent s with simplified biodegradation relationships to predict the oxygen p rofiles in the soil under given site properties and operating conditio ns. The results may be used to decide whether bioventing is a feasible remediation technique at a particular site and to investigate the eff ects of vent placement and flow rate upon performance.