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Cold Regions Science and Technology | 2001

Integral biopile components for successful bioremediation in the Arctic

Dennis M. Filler; Jon E. Lindstrom; Joan F. Braddock; Ron Johnson; Royce Nickalaski

Timely bioremediation of petroleum-contaminated soils in the Arctic is possible with innovative engineering and environmental manipulation to enhance microbial activity beyond the natural effective season. Key parameters in extending the period of beneficial microbial activity in Arctic biopiles are temperature and substrate availability. A multidisciplinary team of engineers, microbiologists and electricians has designed and installed a thermally enhanced biopile at a diesel-contaminated gravel pad in Prudhoe Bay, AK. The combination of bioventing with active warming, fertilization and power cycling is working toward timely remediation at this site. Primary components for success are the (1) thermal insulation system (TIS) design, (2) microbiological monitoring plan, and (3) power optimization. (Alternate power sources are considered for use at this and future remote bioremediation sites.) This paper discusses the TIS design and extension of the effective treatment season, fertilization and the results of a treatability study that compared simple fertilization with application of commercially available bioproducts under simulated site conditions, and adjusting power utilization to prevent permafrost thaw. Through an integrated approach to bioremediation, we are treating diesel-contaminated soils at an Arctic site.


Archive | 2008

Bioremediation of petroleum hydrocarbons in cold regions

Dennis M. Filler; Ian Snape; David L. Barnes

1. Contamination, regulation and remediation: an introduction to bioremediation of petroleum hydrocarbons in cold regions Ian Snape, Larry Acomb, David L. Barnes, Steve Bainbridge, Robert Eno, Dennis M. Filler, Natalie Plato, John S. Poland, Tania C. Raymond, John L. Rayner, Martin J. Riddle, Anne G. Rike, Allison Rutter, Alexis N.Schafer, Steven D. Siciliano, and James L. Walworth 2. Freezing and frozen soils Walter Fourie and Yuri Shur 3. Movement of petroleum through freezing and frozen soils David L. Barnes and Kevin Biggar 4. Hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria in contaminated cold soils Jackie Aislabie and Julia Foght 5. Temperature effects on biodegradation of petroleum contaminants in cold soils Anne Gunn Rike, Silke Schiewer, and Dennis M. Filler 6. Analytical methods for petroleum in cold region soils Daniel M. White, D. Sarah Garland, and Craig R. Woolard 7. Treatability studies: microcosms, mesocosms and field trials Ian Snape, C. Mike Reynolds, James L. Walworth, and Susan Ferguson 8. Nutritional requirements for bioremediation James L. Walworth and Susan Ferguson 9. Landfarming James L. Walworth, C. Mike Reynolds, Allison Rutter, and Ian Snape 10. Thermally-enhanced bioremediation and integrated systems Dennis M. Filler, David L. Barnes, Ronald A. Johnson, and Ian Snape 11. Emerging technologies Dale Van Stempvoort, Kevin Biggar, Dennis M. Filler, Ronald A. Johnson, Ian Snape, Kate Mumford, William Schnabel, and Steve Bainbridge Bibliography Glossary Index.


Polar Record | 2003

Contaminants in freezing ground and associated ecosystems: key issues at the beginning of the new millennium

Ian Snape; Martin J. Riddle; Dennis M. Filler; Peter J. Williams

The ways by which contaminants in freezing ground disperse and interact with associated ecosystems is a new and challenging field of applied research that is crucial to effective assessment, monitoring, and remediation in cold regions. Three key issues have been identified as needing urgent research and development. The first concerns the development and application of meaningful environmental guidelines for cold regions. This usually means that contaminants in freezing ground per se need to be considered in their broadest context by also addressing associated ecosystems, such as the receiving marine environment. The second issue concerns developing best practice for bioremediation of seasonally frozen soils. Of particular concern are the risks, benefits, and costs of using so-called bioproducts, which may not offer substantial improvements over biostimulation of indigenous cold-adapted organisms. The third issue concerns the need for assessment and monitoring protocols and cost-effective analytical tools. In this respect the potential use of field portable instruments deserves careful consideration and on-site testing. Taken together, development of these issues during the coming years will be crucial if the science behind managing contaminants in freezing ground is to catch up with the knowledge that underpins the remediation industry elsewhere.


Polar Record | 2004

Equilibrium distribution of petroleum hydrocarbons in freezing ground

David L. Barnes; Sarah M. Wolfe; Dennis M. Filler

Past documented laboratory measurements have shown movement of petroleum hydrocarbons to the freezing front in contaminated freezing soils. The mechanisms that are, in part, responsible for the increased contaminant concentration at the freezing front are illustrated in this study with a mass-balance model. Results from this quantitative analysis show that this concentration increase is due to exclusion of petroleum hydrocarbon from the crystalline ice structure and from physical displacement of liquid petroleum hydrocarbon from the pore space as water freezes and expands into ice. Consequences of this process in relation to contaminant migration in freezing soils through time are discussed.


Polar Record | 2003

Spill evaluation of petroleum products in freezing ground

David L. Barnes; Dennis M. Filler

In North American cold regions, terrestrial spill-response tactics have evolved through clean-up experience with crude oil and refined petroleum products. Alaska has developed response tactics as guidelines for clean-up of petroleum-based spills. Generic application of any response tactic without regard for season, site-specific conditions, and equipment limitations can further damage an ecosystem. For example, the practice of igniting and burning petroleum product spilled onto frozen tundra without consideration of the anthropogenic effect on the surface energy balance may actually increase the vertical migration of the spilled product. Prior to application of any mitigation strategy to a release of petroleum product, the movement of the product through freezing soil needs to be better understood. Case studies are presented, and lessons learned from them are discussed.


Archive | 2009

Remediation of Frozen Ground Contaminated with Petroleum Hydrocarbons: Feasibility and Limits

Dennis M. Filler; Dale R. Van Stempvoort; Mary Beth Leigh

Petroleum pollution is a significant problem in cold regions. We define cold regions as Arctic and sub-Arctic, Antarctic and sub-Antarctic, and alpine regions that exhibit permafrost or seasonally frozen ground (Filler et al. 2008b). Encountered in gravel pads, roads, and abandoned waste dumps, at remote air strips, research stations, and legacy military and mine sites, with fuel storage and dispensing facilities, and as leaked or spilled product along transport corridors (i.e., pipeline and roads), petroleum is persistent in and difficult to remove from frozen ground. Economic limitations on cleanup are associated with remoteness, access (where regulated), scant local resources, and complex logistics. Physical changes to ground brought on by sub-freezing air temperatures reduce microbial activity and alter physicochemical properties of petroleum (e.g., partial pressures — aqueous/vapor phase partitioning — and volatility). We are beginning to understand freeze–thaw effects and cryoturbation in cold contaminated soils (Biggar and Neufeld 1996; Chuvilin et al. 2001; Barnes et al. 2004; Bigger et al. 2006; Barnes and Wolfe 2008; Barnes and Biggar 2008). Cleanup decision making is usually dictated by financial circumstances, regulatory pressure, perceived risks, and liability associated with lease responsibility or transfer of land ownership (Snape et al. 2008a). Ideally, a practical remediation strategy is chosen based on a feasibility study of alternatives, with consideration for sitespecific conditions, and acceptable trade-off between cost and treatment duration. From the responsible party perspective, the cost–time relationship (Fig. 19.1) is often the single most important aspect of decision making in environmental cleanup. The regulatory perspective also considers human and ecosystem health to be of paramount importance. Irrespective of stakeholder perspective, the development of cost-effective and timely remediation strategies benefits all. Figure 19.1 illustrates cost–time relationships for developed soil treatments that have been used in cold regions.


Cold Regions Science and Technology | 2003

Technical procedures for recovery and evaluation of chemical spills on tundra

Dennis M. Filler; David L. Barnes

Abstract Prior to the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989, arctic and subarctic spill response was in its infancy, and documented research into the environmental consequences of terrestrial spills in cold regions was scarce. Spills to tundra most often result from oil exploration and pipeline transport of fuels, the preponderance of documented spills having been crude oil and refined petroleum products, and the occasional spill of saline water or synthetic fluids. In their present state, North American tundra treatment guidelines generally describe the response and cleanup methods applicable to petroleum-related spills; adequate recovery methods for acid-mixture spills on tundra have not been developed. This paper describes the lessons learned from an acid/xylene spill that occurred in the central Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska (North Slope) in October 2001. Recovery (response and cleanup) methods are developed and site characterization is discussed with consideration for sampling and analysis plan design, potential problems with standard analytical testing methods, and an alternative approach to assessing contamination in frozen ground.


Archive | 2008

Analytical methods for petroleum in cold region soils

Daniel M. White; D. Sarah Garland; Craig R. Woolard; Dennis M. Filler; Ian Snape; David L. Barnes

Introduction In order to demonstrate the effectiveness of a bioremediation project, one must have an accurate measure of the contaminants, both at the start of the project and throughout the treatment process. The measurement of the contaminants throughout the process is important to demonstrate that the treatment is successful and to identify advances or set-backs quickly and effectively. Proving the disappearance of hydrocarbons is important to the success of a bioremediation project. An accurate measurement of hydrocarbons and their biodegradation products is needed to confirm that petroleum was actually consumed by bacteria (discussed in Chapter 7, Section 7.3). One method of confirming biodegradation of petroleum is the coupled measurement of biodegradation rates by proxy methods and the disappearance of the contaminant. Biodegradation rates do not, in and of themselves, prove the decomposition of contaminants. Measurement of biodegradation rates, however, can be an easy way to demonstrate that the potential exists for contaminant removal. While measures of biodegradation rates are often used to estimate time to closure for a site, or proof of technology, biodegradation rates can be unreliable. Common measures of aerobic biodegradation are loss of contaminants, oxygen (O 2 ) consumption, and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) evolution. Unfortunately, the CO 2 can result from non-biological sources (see Chapter 7, Section 7.2.2.2 for additional discussion). Particularly in low pH groundwater, pH adjustment made during bioremediation could result in CO 2 off-gassing from groundwater. Oxygen depletion in the subsurface is also not proof of biodegradation.


Cold Regions Engineering 2009: cold regions impact on research, design, and construction. Proceedings of the 14th Conference on Cold Regions Engineering, Duluth, Minnesota, USA, 31 August - 2 September, 2009 | 2009

Dust Measurement to Determine Effectiveness of Rural Dust Strategies

David L. Barnes; Ron Johnson; Richard W. Wies; Tomas Marsik; Clark Milne; Susan Underbakke; Dennis M. Filler

Dust produced from unpaved roads in rural Alaska is impacting the quality of life in many Alaskan and other villages in cold regions. Not only does dust emanating from unpaved roads cause respiratory ailments, but also impacts subsistence food storage and sources as well as safety since dust impacts visibility on village streets. Loss of fine particles also greatly impacts the quality of road surfaces creating increased maintenance costs. Replacing the fines content in unpaved road surfaces is costly owing to the lack of suitable material and equipment in many villages. The expectation for many communities is that paving their roads will solve their problems. In some cases this may be possible. In many rural environments, however, lack of suitable material or cost prohibitive sources, unsuitable foundation materials or inability to maintain the improved roads preclude pavement as an option. A suitable option for many rural villages may be dust control palliatives and institutional controls. However, there is little consensus on how to identify and measure the effectiveness, economics, and environmental impacts of dust control approaches that are compatible with the subsistence lifestyle common in remote rural communities in Alaska and other cold regions. Our objective in this ongoing study is to evaluate different dust control methods used in rural Alaska. These dust control methods include various synthetic polymer type palliatives, calcium chloride, and institutional controls. This paper presents current efforts to quantify and qualify the effectiveness of dust control measures. Of the different dust control methods, the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (AKDOT&PF) has the most experience with calcium chloride (CaCl2). Salts such as CaCl2 (magnesium chloride is another common dust control salt used by others) control dust by adsorbing and retaining moisture in the aggregate surfacing material. These compounds are most effective at suppressing dust when the relative humidity is greater than around 30 to 40 percent (Rushing and Tingle, 2006). During morning hours when relative humidity is typically high and temperatures are low, moisture is retained in the salt treated road surface. As the temperatures rise and relative humidity drops in the afternoon, moisture losses by evaporation from the treated road surface are reduced in comparison to untreated road surfaces. Synthetic polymers comprise several different compounds that promote soil particle binding. Several different products are provided by vendors under the names EK-35, EnviroKleen, Durasoil among others. The compositions of these compounds are typically proprietary. The fraction of loftable fine particles is reduced by the aggregating action of the palliative. Anyone who has driven on unpaved roads has experienced the effect vehicle speed has on the quantity of fine particles lofted by the vehicle. Control of speeds on rural roadways when possible is one of the least expensive means to control dust.


11th International Conference on Cold Regions Engineering | 2002

Operation of Soil Vapor Extraction in Cold Climates

David L. Barnes; Elizabeth Cosden; Bryan Johnson; Karol Johnson; Stina Stjärnström; Karin Johansson; Dennis M. Filler

Soil Vapor Extraction has proven to be a viable method for reducing the mass of volatile compounds from soils that have been impacted by contamination. The theory, design and use of SVE systems hav ...

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David L. Barnes

University of Alaska Fairbanks

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Ian Snape

Australian Antarctic Division

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Ron Johnson

University of Alaska Fairbanks

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Martin J. Riddle

Australian Antarctic Division

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Craig R. Woolard

University of Alaska Anchorage

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D. Sarah Garland

University of Alaska Fairbanks

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Daniel M. White

University of Alaska Fairbanks

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Joan F. Braddock

University of Alaska Fairbanks

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Jon E. Lindstrom

University of Alaska Fairbanks

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