Design equations for soil aeration via bioventing

Abstract

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