Assessing field-scale biogeophysical signatures of bioremediation over a mature crude oil spill

Lee Slater; Dimitrios Ntarlagiannis; Estella Atekwana; Farag Mewafy; Andre Revil; Magnus Skold; Yuri Gorby; Frederick D. Day-Lewis; John W. Lane Jr.; Jared J. Trost; Dale D. Werkema; Geoffrey N. Delin; William N. Herkelrath

Assessing field-scale biogeophysical signatures of bioremediation over a mature crude oil spill

By: Lee Slater, Dimitrios Ntarlagiannis, Estella Atekwana, Farag Mewafy, Andre Revil, Magnus Skold, Yuri Gorby, Frederick D. Day-Lewis, John W. Lane Jr., Jared J. Trost, Dale D. Werkema, Geoffrey N. Delin, and William N. Herkelrath

Edited by: H.V. Rectanus and R. Sirabian

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Abstract

We conducted electrical geophysical measurements at the National Crude Oil Spill Fate and Natural Attenuation Research Site (Bemidji, MN). Borehole and surface self-potential measurements do not show evidence for the existence of a biogeobattery mechanism in response to the redox gradient resulting from biodegradation of oil. The relatively small self potentials recorded are instead consistent with an electrodiffusion mechanism driven by differences in the mobility of charge carriers associated with biodegradation byproducts. Complex resistivity measurements reveal elevated electrical conductivity and interfacial polarization at the water table where oil contamination is present, extending into the unsaturated zone. This finding implies that the effect of microbial cell growth/attachment, biofilm formation, and mineral weathering accompanying hydrocarbon biodegradation on complex interfacial conductivity imparts a sufficiently large electrical signal to be measured using field-scale geophysical techniques.

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Additional publication details
Publication type	Conference Paper
Publication Subtype	Conference Paper
Title	Assessing field-scale biogeophysical signatures of bioremediation over a mature crude oil spill
Chapter	B-9
ISBN	978-0-9819730-4-3
Year Published	2011
Language	English
Publisher	Battelle Memorial Institute
Publisher location	Columbus, OH
Contributing office(s)	OGW Branch of Geophysics, Office of Ground Water, Toxic Substances Hydrology Program
Description	9 p.
Larger Work Type	Book
Larger Work Subtype	Conference publication
Larger Work Title	Proceedings of the first international symposium on bioremediation and sustainable environmental technologies
Conference Title	First international symposium on bioremediation and sustainable environmental technologies
Conference Location	Reno, NV
Conference Date	June 27-30, 2011
Country	United States
State	Minnesota
City	Bemidji
Other Geospatial	National Crude Oil Spill Fate and Natural Attenuation Research Site
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