Effect of Hydraulic Conductivity Uncertainty on In Situ Bioremediation of Groundwater Contaminated with Dissolved Petroleum Hydrocarbons

Abstract

The hydraulic conductivity of soils varies over several orders of magnitude, and its measurement is affected by experimental and field conditions. This paper applies Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) to ascertain the impact of hydraulic conductivity’s uncertainty on the bioremediation of groundwater contaminated with dissolved petroleum hydrocarbons. The model BIO PLUME II is implemented for simulating the bioremediation treatment. The effect of hydraulic conductivity uncertainty on bioremediation is assessed by means of MCS. This paper’s results indicate that the uncertainty in prediction of the residual contaminant concentration produced by bioremediation is higher at the center of mass of the contaminant plume than at its periphery. The results also show that the effect of hydraulic conductivity uncertainty on residual contaminant concentration is larger at intermediate times since the start of bioremediation than at early or late times of the treatment phase.