Transport and degradation of perchlorate in deep vadose zone: implications from direct observations during bioremediation treatment
Abstract. An in situ bioremediation experiment of a deep vadose zone (~ 40 m) contaminated with a high concentration of perchlorate (> 25,000 mg L−1) was conducted through a full-scale field operation. Favorable environmental conditions for microbiological reduction of perchlorate were sought by infiltrating an electron donor-enriched water solution using drip irrigation underlying an airtight sealing liner. A vadose-zone monitoring system (VMS) was used for real-time tracking of the percolation process, the penetration depth of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and the variation in perchlorate concentration across the entire soil depth. The experimental conditions for each infiltration event were adjusted according to insight gained from data obtained by the VMS in previous stages. Continuous monitoring of the vadose zone indicated that in the top 13 m of the cross section, perchlorate concentration is dramatically reduced from thousands of milligrams per liter to near-detection limits with a concurrent increase in chloride concentration. Nevertheless, in the deeper parts of the vadose zone (