Mn. Goltz et al., Transport issues and bioremediation modeling for the in situ aerobic co-metabolism of chlorinated solvents, BIODEGRADAT, 12(2), 2001, pp. 127-140
For aerobic co-metabolism of chlorinated solvents to occur, it is necessary
that oxygen, a primary substrate, and the chlorinated compound all be avai
lable to an appropriate microorganism - that is, a microorganism capable of
producing the nonspecific enzyme that will promote degradation of the onta
minant while the primary substrate is aerobically metabolized. Thus, the tr
ansport processes that serve to mix the reactants are crucial in determinin
g the rate and extent of biodegradation, particularly when considering in s
itu biodegradation. These transport processes intersect, at a range of scal
es, with the biochemical reactions. This paper reviews how the important pr
ocesses contributing to aerobic co-metabolism of chlorinated solvents at di
fferent scales can be integrated into mathematical models. The application
of these models to field-scale bioremediation is critically examined. It is
demonstrated that modeling can be a useful tool in gaining insight into th
e physical, chemical, and biological processes relevant to aerobic co-metab
olism, designing aerobic co-metabolic bioremediation systems, and predictin
g system performance. Research needs are identified that primarily relate t
o gaps in our current knowledge of inter-scale interactions.