| Abstract | Extensive characterization of a nitrate-contaminated site at a Canadian airport revealed that natural attenuation of the plume was limited due to aerobic conditions. However, nitrate removal rates as high as 1.4 mg-N/(L/day) were observed in batch tests carried out under denitrifying conditions with an added carbon source. On the basis of these results, a field denitrification pilot test using a setup of vertical withdrawal and injection wells was carried out. Ethanol was used as a carbon source to stimulate the growth and activity of indigenous denitrifying bacterial populations. Denitrification rates of up to 1.2 mg-N/(L/day) were achieved during the test. The test confirmed the feasibility of the technology, which uses the indigenous bacterial populations for denitrification and transforms the aquifer into a subsurface bioreactor. |
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