Case study: natural attenuation of dissolved hydrocarbons at a former gas plant

摘要

In recent years, interest has grown in biological processes that limit the migration of dissolved petroleum hydrocarbons in groundwater. While the process of biodegradation of dissolved petroleum hydrocarbons in groundwater is generally acknowledged, only a few carefully documented examples exist. Work to date at a former natural gas processing plant provides documentation of natural biodegradation of dissolved hydrocarbon in groundwater as well as insights into the microbiological processes that are most significant at this site.