Biofilm Barrier for In Situ Groundwater Denitrification

Nitrate contamination of groundwater is widespread problem in the United States and throughout the world. The use of agricultural fertilizers and improper disposal of industrial wastes has led to nitrate levels that exceed the National Primary Drinking Water Standard of 10 mg/l. Nitrate contamination in drinking water has been implicated as the cause of various health problems in humans, including methemoglobinemia and spontaneous abortions. MSE, in collaboration with the Center for Biofilm Engineering at Montana State University, has developed a biological process that combines containment of polluted groundwater with remediation of that water. This technology uses a subsurface biofilm barrier to destroy nitrate in situ while keeping the contaminated plume from reaching fresh water sources. MSE plans to test this technology at our Butte, Montana, field site using an existing 180 ft. by 130 ft. by 20 ft. deep test cell. Nitrate will be injected into the test cell and monitored as it passes through the reactive zone. It is expected that this technology will be an expensive alternative to conventional nitrate treatment technologies.