Pilot Application of SVE-Enhanced Bioremediation Technology for in situ Clean-up of a Light Oil-Contaminated Site

Light oil (isooctane) removal using soil vapor extraction (SVE) enhanced bioremediation (BR) was investigated by four steps, including: (i) amendment of substrates in batches (ii) continuous induction of contaminants for 15 days (iii) in situ acclimation for 100 days (iv) biodegradation assisted with SVE venting for 120 h at 20 m³·h-1 Results showed that the total removal efficiency was up to 90% after BR-SVE treatments. BR contributed predominantly to isooctane removal during the last 36 h of BR-SVE treatment. This implied that it would be an important strategy to limit water content at the early stage while increasing water supply at the end stage during implementation of BR-SVE, because water content was a significant factor hindering SVE but favoring BR. The overall results demonstrated a good complementarity between SVE and BR, and a potential for their combination in real-world applications.