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Pelorus Uses CYCLOPS-7 Fluorometer to Characterize Effectiveness
of Remedial Fluid Through BioNets™
About Pelorus:
Pelorus Environmental & Biotechnology Corp. (Pelorus) provides
environmental and biotechnology solutions for water, air, and soil
contamination situations. Their environmental services include bioremediation,
chemical oxidation, remediation services, water treatment systems,
and air treatment systems.
Noted for pioneering Environmental Biotechnology applications and
hydraulic fracturing and monitoring, their services include:
- Biocatalyst development for bioremediation and biotransformation
of organic molecules to valuable chemical intermediates, and renewable
energy processes
- Molecular environmental diagnostics
- Fermentation process development and characterization of biodegradation
pathways of organic compounds and the delivery of these processes
into the subsurface.
Project Overview:
A recent project, in conjunction with the Artemis Consulting Group
was to evaluate the performance of an existing groundwater and soil
remediation system. One aspect of the remediation design consists
of a patented subsurface treatment area called Bionets. The Bionets
are horizontally stacked, hydraulically-emplaced, sand-filled or other
solid support filled propagations or fractures. Each Bionet consists
of three to four horizontally emplaced fractures. During remediation,
the fractures within each Bionet are repeatedly filled with Pelorus
proprietary bio-amendments for the purpose of selective dechlorination
of specific volatile-organic-compounds (VOCs), otherwise know as constituents-of-concern
(COCs).
Figure 1: Example of Bionet Structure showing
Tracer Injection Scenario
Remediation Objectives:
The Bionets consist of multiple zones of artificially emplaced porous
materials positioned beneath the ground surface at various depths
within the zone of contamination. Pelorus wanted to lace the injectate
with Rhodamine dye during injections into each of these Bionets to
determine which interval was the primary pathway for nutrient migration.
By determining which pathway is the primary pathway, Pelorus could
modify the existing treatment program at the site to focus injection
into those primary zones. This would result in better utilization
of their proprietary nutrients resulting in a reduction in chemical
costs, and by focusing the remediation to target horizons (primary
Bionet migration pathways) the modeled times to reach the remediation
objectives, and subsequently, the long-term monitoring costs might
be reduced.
Investigation Approach:
Pelorus wanted a way to map or determine the preferred migration path
of the injected remedial fluid through the Bionets in both saturated
and unsaturated soils at the subject facility.
It was Pelorus's intent to use a Turner Designs Fluorometer to search
for the presence of their injectate augmented with Rhodamine in several
environmental monitoring wells positioned down-gradient from the point
of tracer injections. In addition to monitoring for the presence of
Rhodamine dye in selected monitoring wells, Pelorus had a need to
vertically profile the water column in each well to identify potential
COC-stratification of the water column. Pelorus selected the Turner
Designs CYCLOPS-7 fluorometer to meet their specific needs. This fluorometer
had the outside dimensions, resolution capabilities, durability, programmability,
deployment, and pricing options needed for this project.
Vertical Profiling was required, and therefore they ordered 70 feet
of cable for the device.
Graphic 1: Pelorus site setup for monitoring
with CYCLOPS-7 in a 2.00" ID PVC well casing.
Methodology:
The intent was to lower the fluorometer into the monitor wells incrementally
at one-foot intervals to the bottom of the well (typically 25 -30
feet) and evaluate the water column within the well casing for the
presence of injected Rhodamine dye. Measurements of fluorescence would
be recorded at one foot intervals thus creating a vertical fluorescence
profile of the water columns. This process was conducted before, during,
and after the initial injections, then again once every week for several
weeks.
In addition to fluorometer profiling, dissolved oxygen (DO) electrical
conductance (EC), pH, temp, and oxygen-reduction-potential (ORP) were
also vertically profiled.
Results:
Two Bionet locations were tested following injection of Rhodamine-laced
fluids. Following analysis of all the field data, the fluorometer
results provided Pelorus with some exceptional results:
- Defined zones of stratification not previously identified
- Determined which fracture zone in the tested Bionet is the primary
zone;
- Helped further characterize site hydrogeology and;
- Allowed Pelorus to better understand fluid migration paths,
nutrient uptake times; dispersion, and seepage velocities of our
remedial fluids.
Chart shows that the flow occurred through the fracture
at 14.3 feet. Bioremediation would be focused at this depth achieving
economic savings by minimizing the amount of chemical needed.
Additional Information:
For more details on this and other Pelorus remediation programs, please
contact:
Pelorus Environmental & Biotechnology Corp
3528 Evergreen Parkway
Evergreen, Colorado 80439
vbarlock@pelorusenbiotech.com
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