Coupling transport and biodegradation of toluene and trichloroethylene in unsaturated soils

Trichloroethylene (TCE), a common groundwater pollutant generally resistant to aerobic biodegradation, can be cometabolized in the presence of another compound such as toluene. The coupled transport and biodegradation of TCE and toluene was investigated and modeled in laboratory soil columns. Toluene biodegradation was linked to microbial growth using Monod kinetics, while TCE degradation was described using Michaelis-Menten kinetics modified to account for changing enzyme levels. Biodegradation of TCE was modeled as a mass fraction of the toluene degradation rate. Both growth and decay were incorporated into the equations to model microbial population dynamics. With the exception of the initial biomass, a single set of parameters to describe both degradation functions was obtained from independent soil batch experiments. Physical parameters were obtained from sterile soil columns. The initial biomass declined from the inlet to the outlet side of the chamber. Toluene was fully degraded in the soil column with the majority occurring closest to the inlet chamber. A substantial amount of TCE was not degraded because it diffused faster and was transformed at a lower rate than toluene.