High Resolution Analysis of Contaminated Aquifer Sediments and Groundwater—What Can be Learned in Terms of Natural Attenuation?

Abstract

High-resolution depth-resolved monitoring was applied to groundwater and sediments samples in a tar oil contaminated aquifer. Today, it is not fully clear, whether groundwater-based lines of evidence are always sufficient to adequately assess natural attenuation (NA) potentials and processes going on in situ. Our data unveiled small-scale heterogeneities, steep physical-chemical and microbial gradients, as well as hot spots of contaminants and biodegradation in the supposedly homogeneous sandy aquifer. The comparison of basic geochemical data revealed a fairly good agreement between sediment and groundwater samples. Nevertheless, a comprehensive understanding of both BTEX and PAH distribution, as well as redox processes involving insoluble electron acceptors, i.e., iron reduction, clearly asks for consideration of both, sediment and groundwater analysis. A thin BTEX plume right below the groundwater table was visible only in groundwater, while significant amounts of PAHs were present in sediments from deeper zones of the aquifer. Indications for sulfate reduction as a dominant process involved in BTEX degradation were largely obtained from groundwater, while the role of iron reduction in degradation and possible sulfide oxidation at the capillary fringe and the upper BTEX plume fringe, as well as in deeper PAH-contaminated zones was evident from sediments. Moreover, sediment analyses were essential to meaningfully recover cell abundances, distribution, activity and composition of the bacterial community. Sediments harbored > 97.7% of bacterial cells and displayed enzyme activities 5 to 6 orders of magnitude higher than groundwater samples. Bacterial community T-RFLP fingerprints revealed important distinctions, but also similarities in depth-resolved microbial community distribution in sediments and water. An apparently highly specialized degrader population was found to dominate the lower BTEX plume fringe. However, even though sediment data seemed to comprise most community information found also in groundwater, this relation did not apply vice versa. In summary, our results show that groundwater sampled at an appropriate scale may contain sufficient information to identify and localize dominant redox reactions, but clearly fails to unravel natural attenuation potentials. This clearly emphasizes the importance of both groundwater and sediment samples for truly assessing natural attenuation potentials and activities at organically contaminated aquifers.