Effect of cold temperature on the rate of natural attenuation of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and the three isomers of xylene (BTEX)

Abstract

The impact of cold temperatures on natural attenuation rates is poorly understood and compounded by the lack of published data, particularly under field conditions. This paper presents a collection of data from monitoring and remediation projects completed at cold temperatures. The data set was compiled from 55 studies under anaerobic conditions (46 field and nine laboratory) from sites where groundwater temperatures are typically less than 15 °C. By normalizing the data to +5 and +10 °C, the scatter in rates for BTEX degradation in groundwater was reduced by 33% to 66%. In an attempt to address the paucity of data on natural attenuation rates under cold temperatures, this study has compiled and normalized 101 anaerobic BTEX natural attenuation rates. Eleven of the 55 studies and 43 of the 101 rates presented in this study have not been previously published. Additionally, this study has compiled, for each site, relevant contaminant and hydrogeological information that can be reviewed to choose appropriate rates for preliminary site analysis.