Using Granular Dead Anaerobic Sludge as Permeable Reactive Barrier for Remediation of Groundwater Contaminated with Phenol

Abstract

AbstractThe possibility of using granular dead anaerobic sludge (GDAS) biosorbent as a permeable reactive barrier (PRB) to remove phenol from contaminated shallow groundwater was investigated. Batch tests were performed to characterize the equilibrium sorption properties of GDAS and sandy soil in phenol-containing aqueous solutions. The Langmuir isotherm model gives a better fit for the sorption data of phenol by GDAS and soil than other models under the studied conditions. One-dimensional column experiments were performed at a pilot scale, and an integrated model based on the solution of an advection-reaction-dispersion mass balance equation, using the finite-element method, was developed to study the space and time normalized concentration of phenol within groundwater. Numerical and experimental results proved that the PRB plays a potential role in the restriction of the contaminant plume migration. Also, these results showed that the removal of phenol by PRB was increased as function of its thickness a...