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Schirmer, Mario

Nom
Schirmer, Mario
Affiliation principale
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Ancien.ne collaborateur.trice
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https://libra.unine.ch/handle/123456789/163

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  • Publication
    Métadonnées seulement
    Modeling the impact of ethanol on the persistence of benzene in gasoline-contaminated groundwater
    (2002)
    Molson, John W
    ;
    Barker, James F
    ;
    Frind, Emil O
    ;
    Schirmer, Mario 
    [1] The effect of ethanol on the persistence of benzene in gasoline-contaminated aquifers is simulated using a multicomponent reactive transport model. The conceptual model includes a residual gasoline source which is dissolving at the water table into an aquifer containing a limited amount of dissolved oxygen. The coupled processes include nonaqueous phase liquid (NAPL) source dissolution, transport of the dissolved components, and competitive aerobic biodegradation. Comparisons are made between dissolved benzene plumes from a gasoline spill and those from an otherwise equivalent spill containing 10% ethanol (gasohol). Simulations have shown that under some conditions a 10% ethanol component in gasoline can extend the travel distance of a benzene plume by up to 150% relative to that from an equivalent ethanol-free gasoline spill. The increase occurs because ethanol preferentially consumes oxygen, which reduces the biodegradation rate of benzene. The impact is limited, however, because sufficient oxygen disperses behind the ethanol plume into the slightly retarded benzene plume. A sensitivity analysis for two common spill scenarios showed that background oxygen concentrations and benzene retardation have the most significant influence on ethanol-induced benzene persistence. The results are highly relevant in light of the increasing use of ethanol-enhanced fuels throughout the world and the forthcoming ban of methyl tertiary-butyl-ether (MTBE) in California and its probable replacement by ethanol by the end of 2002.
  • Publication
    Métadonnées seulement
    Biodegradation modelling of a dissolved gasoline plume applying independent laboratory and field parameters
    (2000)
    Schirmer, Mario 
    ;
    Molson, John W
    ;
    Frind, Emil O
    ;
    Barker, James F
    Biodegradation of organic contaminants in groundwater is a microscale process which is often observed on scales of 100s of metres or larger. Unfortunately, there are no known equivalent parameters for characterizing the biodegradation process at the macroscale as there are, for example, in the case of hydrodynamic dispersion. Zero- and first-order degradation rates estimated at the laboratory scale by model fitting generally overpredict the rate of biodegradation when applied to the field scale because limited electron acceptor availability and microbial growth are not considered. On the other hand, Field-estimated zero- and first-order rates are often not suitable for predicting plume development because they may oversimplify or neglect several key field scale processes. phenomena and characteristics. This study uses the numerical model BIO3D to link the laboratory and field scales by applying laboratory-derived Monod kinetic degradation parameters to simulate a dissolved gasoline field experiment at the Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Borden. All input parameters were derived from independent laboratory and field measurements or taken from the literature a priori to the simulations. The simulated results match the experimental results reasonably well without model calibration. A sensitivity analysis on the most uncertain input parameters showed only a minor influence on the simulation results. Furthermore, it is shown that the flow field, the amount of electron acceptor (oxygen) available, and the Monod kinetic parameters have a significant influence on the simulated results, it is concluded that laboratory-derived Monod kinetic parameters can adequately describe field scale degradation, provided all controlling factors are incorporated in the field scale model. These factors include advective-dispersive transport of multiple contaminants and electron accepters and large-scale spatial heterogeneities. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
  • Publication
    Métadonnées seulement
    A relative-least-squares technique to determine unique Monod kinetic parameters of BTEX compounds using batch experiments
    (1999)
    Schirmer, Mario 
    ;
    Butler, Barbara J
    ;
    Roy, James W
    ;
    Frind, Emil O
    ;
    Barker, James F
    An analysis of aerobic m-xylene biodegradation kinetics was performed on the results of laboratory batch microcosms. A modified version of the computer model BIO3D was used to determine the Monod kinetic parameters, k(max) (maximum utilization rate) and K-S (half-utilization constant), as well as the Haldane inhibition concentration, K-I, for pristine Borden aquifer material, The proposed method allows for substrate degradation under microbial growth conditions. The problem of non-uniqueness of the calculated parameters was overcome by using several different initial substrate concentrations. With a relative-least-squares technique, unique kinetic degradation parameters were obtained. Calculation of the microbial yield, Y, based on microbial counts from the beginning and the end of the experiments was crucial for reducing the number of unknowns in the system and therefore for the accurate determination of the kinetic degradation parameters, The kinetic parameters obtained in the present study were found to agree well with values reported in the literature. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
  • Publication
    Métadonnées seulement
    A study of long-term MTBE attenuation in the borden aquifer, Ontario, Canada
    (1998)
    Schirmer, Mario 
    ;
    Barker, James F
    In 1988 and 1989, a natural gradient tracer test was performed in the shallow aerobic sand aquifer at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Borden. A mixture of ground water containing dissolved oxygenated gasoline was injected below the water table along with chloride (Cl-) as a conservative tracer. The migration of BTEX, MTBE, and Cl- was monitored in detail for 16 months. The mass of BTEX compounds in the plume diminished significantly with time due to intrinsic aerobic biodegradation, while MTBE showed only a small decrease in mass over the 16-month period. In 1995/96, a comprehensive ground water sampling program was undertaken to define the mass of MTBE still present in the aquifer. Since the plume had migrated into an unmonitored section of the Borden Aquifer, numerical modeling and geostatistical methods were applied to define an optimal sampling grid and to improve the level of confidence in the results. A drive point profiling system was used to obtain ground water samples. Numerical modeling with no consideration of degradation predicted maximum concentrations in excess of 3000 mu g/L field sampling found maximum concentrations of less than 200 mu g/L. A mass balance for the remaining MTBE mass in the aquifer eight years after injection showed that only 3% of the original mass remained. Sorption, volatilization, abiotic degradation, and plant uptake are not considered significant attenuation processes for the field conditions. Therefore, we suggest that biodegradation may have played a major role in the attenuation of MTBE within the Borden Aquifer.