Low-flow air injection below the water table designed to supply oxygen to subsurface bacteria for in-situ biodegradation of dissolved petroleum hydrocarbons, with minimal stripping of volatiles into the vadose zone.
Biosparging is the biological cousin of air sparging. Flow rates are reduced an order of magnitude so that the injected air dissolves into groundwater and supports aerobic microbial respiration on petroleum hydrocarbons rather than physically stripping them. SVE is often unnecessary because volatilization is minimized by design.
The technology suits dissolved-phase BTEX plumes, light petroleum hydrocarbons, and sites where above-ground vapour treatment would add disproportionate cost. Like bioventing, performance is governed by oxygen delivery, nutrient sufficiency, temperature, and microbial population.
Also known as: biosparging, bio-sparging.
Petroleum Hydrocarbons: treatment approach
The full spectrum of petroleum-derived organic compounds — crude oil, condensate, diesel, gasoline, jet fuel, and bunker fuel — reported analytically as total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) in gasoline-range (C6–C10), diesel-range (C10–C28), and heavy-range (C28–C40) fractions.
An ex-situ soil treatment process that heats contaminated soil to volatilize and separate organic contaminants from the soil matrix, after which the liberated vapors are captured and treated, usually in a high-temperature oxidizer.
A thermal desorption configuration where the heat source contacts the soil directly inside the rotary unit, delivering high heat-transfer efficiency and supporting higher treatment temperatures.
A thermal desorption configuration where heat is conducted through the wall of the treatment vessel without combustion gases contacting the soil, producing a concentrated, lower-volume vapor stream suitable for condensation and recovery.
Treatment that heats contaminated soil and groundwater in place, typically with electrical resistance, thermal conduction, or steam injection, to volatilize and recover contaminants without excavation. Used where excavation is impractical or where the contaminant zone sits beneath active infrastructure.