A Correlation to Estimate the Bioventing Degradation Rate Constant

Estimating the biodegradation rate is essential when designing a bioremediation strategy for petroleum-contaminated sites, and when evaluating assessment guidelines. However, estimating the biodegradation rate is difficult as the rate constant varies from site to site due to changing site conditions, which include soil type, biological activity, and type of contaminant. Accordingly, bench-scale biodegradation studies were completed using respirometers to measure first-order biodegradation rate constants for gasoline in several soils over 30 days of incubation. A total of seven soils were tested at various gasoline concentrations with constant nutrient ratios and water content. No microbial inhibition was observed for the range of gasoline concentrations studied. Analysis showed that the statistically significant parameters were the initial population of petroleum-degrading microorganisms and the organic matter content. The developed empirical correlation is a simple tool that practioners can use to estimate the biodegradation rate without conducting lengthy and expensive experiments.