Phytoremediation and bioremediation of hydrocarbons : modeling and field applications /
In recent years, phytoremediation which uses plants to enhance the bioremediation through stimulation of microbial activity and plant uptake of contaminant, has been a topic of increasing interest. Although phytoremediation is a cost effective in situ technology having bright prospects to repudiate...
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| Format: | Thesis Book |
| Language: | English |
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[Place of publication not identified] :
[publisher not identified] ;
2000.
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| Online Access: | http://proxy.library.tamu.edu/login?url=http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=731990401&sid=1&Fmt=2&clientId=2945&RQT=309&VName=PQD |
| Summary: | In recent years, phytoremediation which uses plants to enhance the bioremediation through stimulation of microbial activity and plant uptake of contaminant, has been a topic of increasing interest. Although phytoremediation is a cost effective in situ technology having bright prospects to repudiate high volumes of slightly contaminated soils, there may be some restrictions or limits in special cases. Because phytoremediation is a type of bioremediation, it may also have the same uncertainties associated with bioremediation. Introducing plants into a remediation system may lead not only to removal of contaminants from soils but subsequent contamination of the plants themselves. This dissertation developed a mathematical model that represents contaminant fate and transport in the vadose zone under various repudiation methods, specifically phytoremediation. To consider the repudiation effects of plant, the two-region soil model having a root zone and a bulk soil region was proposed and development of the rhizosphere was simulated. A two-compartment plant model was also introduced to simulate plant contamination. Because modeling of the bow and contaminant transport in the vadose zone is significantly different than typical groundwater problems, it was necessary to incorporate into the two-phase bow model having both aqueous and gas phases a heat bow model as well as root growth and root development models. The model proposed in this study focuses on investigation of model behavior under actual environmental conditions and application at actual sold sites. To achieve these goals, laboratory experiments and field work were conducted, numerical experiment with actual weather and irrigation data were carried out, and model validation with field data was performed. The results indicate that the proposed model can successfully represent the flow and the fate and transport of contaminant in the vadose zone. The results indicated that model variables related to the contaminant bioavailability in the soil control the efficiency of phytoremediation as well as bioremediation. The results showed that plant contamination was also affected by the contaminant bioavailability, chemical properties of the contaminants, plant properties, and planting methods. The success of phytoremediation depends on increasing bioavailability then allowing microorganisms and plants to access and degrade the contaminant. |
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| Item Description: | Vita. "Major Subject: Civil Engineering". |
| Physical Description: | xvi, 245 leaves : illustrations ; 28 cm. Issued also on microfiche from University Microfilm Inc. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references (leaves 224-235). |