Geology 210         Class Preparation Questions

 Remediation of Petroleum Hydrocarbons in Groundwater

What is 'natural attenuation'?

Describe the following processes as related to their influences on petroleum hydrocarbons in the subsurface:  advection, diffusion, dispersion, volatilization, sorption, chemical alteration, biological degradation.

Describe each of the following treatment techniques: soil vapor extraction, water flushing, air sparging, multi-phase vacuum extraction

Describe the following processes of transformative destruction; aerobic biodegradation, chemical oxidation, thermal oxidation

What factors control the effectiveness of biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons in the subsurface?