How is butane used to degrade pollution in soil and groundwater?
A. Bioremediation has historically been shown to be an effective in-situ remedial method. The availability of oxygen as well as the low cell densities of indigenous microbial populations limits the process of natural attenuation. Enhancing the process of natural attenuation with an active bioremediation system accelerates contaminant destruction in a cost-efficient and timely manner. The patented Butane Biosparging and Butane Bioventing processes enhance and accelerate natural attenuation by inducing the naturally occurring bacterial populations to express the requisite enzymes that degrade a wide range of environmental pollutants including chlorinated solvents, BTEX and MTBE. Natural attenuation is enhanced with the addition of butane, an easily metabolized microbial food source, and oxygen, an electron acceptor. The contaminants are degraded through direct metabolism (petroleum hydrocarbons) or cometabolism (chlorinated compounds and MTBE) of the contamination under aerobic condition
